In the Name of Thaddeus
by Shimy
Summary: Set after Milo's Return. Our favorite scholar is given the opportunity to have his revenge...
1. Outsiders

Author's note: All characters belonging to the movie 'Atlantis: the Lost Empire" are the property of the Walt Disney Company. Magoreshehb is my character, though. As for the plot of the story, it takes place after Milo's Return. Even if I believe Atlantis should have remained hidden, I like the idea I am writing this story around very much. And no, I am not forgetting to continue "An Endless Mystery"! This will be a much shorter story, though. 2 or 3 chapters, I think. Please R&R! Thank you!

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The sun came out of the depths of the Atlantic Ocean and let its first beams caress the beautiful and still sleeping city of Atlantis. The Lost Empire had surfaced again for a couple of months, gloriously revealing its existence to the world. It had not taken a long time until the rumour spread all over the Earth, and countless people now wanted to witness this outstanding miracle by themselves. Kida, Milo, Mr Whitmore and the rest of the crew had had to go through backbreaking days to organize all the preparations that were needed for Atlantis to adapt itself to the surface-world and the people who belonged to it. But everything worked out for the best, and Atlanteans could now truly savour the wilderness of the sea and behold the glory of the stars. The Mother Crystal began to shine brighter and brighter, as the sun rose in the sky. It was a peaceful morning.

In spite of the long nightgown she was wearing, Queen Kidagakash shivered slightly under the linen blanket that covered her body. Slightly groaning, she snuggled up to Milo, seeking for both his corporal and psychological warmth. She did not bother to open her eyes when she felt him gather her in his arms and let her head rest upon his chest. A satisfied smile formed on her lips. She was perfectly happy: Atlantis had come to the surface-world again, her culture and people were thriving, her husband Milo was by her side, and everything she had ever dared to hope for had come true. Well, almost everything. Sighing contentedly, she listened to Milo's heartbeat under her ear. It was the one sound she wanted to begin each day with. Kida knew he had exhausted himself way beyond his own limits to help her the last few days. No more than two days ago, she had found him sound asleep in the library, almost buried beneath a mountain of scrolls dealing with the ancient Atlantean foreign policies and diplomatic strategies. She had watched in awe to the gigantic work he had already accomplished but had also ordered him to come with her and get some rest, after having argued that their bed _truly was_ much cosier than his desk.

"Does your highness feel comfortable enough?" she heard him ask, her eyelids still closed.

"I do feel comfortable, my King. Not enough, though." She responded, smirking.

"Maybe I can help?"

"You can give it a try."

Not moving a muscle, Kida felt Milo's body move away from beneath hers and she slightly frowned when her head softly hit his pillow. But then, she sensed him roll on top of her and lean in to kiss her. The kiss he gave her was sweet, gentle, and she did not, on purpose, return it, preferring to savour the wonderful sensation of his lips against hers. When Milo broke the kiss, she did not make the slightest move.

"Jiminy Christmas! What _does_ it take to satisfy you?"

She did not respond immediately.

"Try doing _that_ once more."

Milo gave a small laugh and proceeded to kiss her again. The moment she felt Milo's lips brush against her slightly parted ones, Kida wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and returned the kiss, making it deepen and last longer than the previous one. When he finally pulled back and ran his hand along her cheek, she decided to open her blue eyes, meeting his loving brown ones.

"Hello, love. Now I feel comfortable enough. Thank you."

"Morning, Kida. You're most welcome."

"Have you been awake for a long time?"

"No, not at all. Ten minutes, fifteen maybe. But I wouldn't have minded if it had been more: you know how much I love being considered as your favourite pillow!"

Kida laughed and pushed him aside before she curled up against him again.

"You are indeed the best pillow I ever had. So, what does the King of Atlantis plan on doing today?"

Kida liked to tease him about his newly-acquired royal rank. She knew he was still a little uncomfortable with the idea of being Atlantis's full ruler. Yet, the Queen knew they were both loved by their people and took great pride in Milo's attitude. Although he cringed a little whenever he was being addressed as "your highness", "King Milo" or "your majesty", he had grown to become a great leader and Atlanteans respected him deeply.

"Well, I think I'll first go to the library and continue to sort out and list the different scrolls. I'm almost done with it, you know."

"Yes, I have been told that. May I ask why you were suddenly so willing to sort out all our documents?"

"When you used the spear to bring Atlantis back to the surface, you claimed it was time to share the Crystal's light with the world, and I believe you have taken the right decision. But I have lived in this world longer than you –at least for the moment- and this far I know: if we are not careful enough, the fantastic knowledge of Atlantis will be abused like your father feared it. Trust me, Kida. Man is kind, but men are dangerous here. I think it is my duty to make sure some crucial parts of the knowledge of Atlantis and the Crystal's powers are maintained beyond the reach of the first to come."

"I trust your judgement, Milo. Going back to my question, what do you plan on doing after that?"

"I will check up on the progress the children have made at school. Maybe I'll take the time to give them a small lesson."

Kida smiled tenderly at her husband. She liked to see how involved he was with the young Atlanteans. The children had always liked to have Milo around them. He was, of course, their favourite teacher.

"Fair enough. I will hold court this morning. I certainly hope I won't have to deal with stupid issues." Kida sighed.

"Well, if you need me, let me know and I'll be right by your side, my Queen."

"Thank you. I love you, Milo."

"I love you too. So much."

…

Kida rolled her eyes while she listened to yet _another_ problem she had hoped not to face. She pulled a face and rubbed her forehead in disbelief. Two Atlantean weavers, both very skilled, were violently arguing in front of her.

_And what for? Great Kings, this is only a carpet!_ _True, it is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, but still! There are more important problems I have to deal with. _

"Stop arguing, both of you! And listen very carefully. Either you find a solution yourselves to this minor conflict of yours, or –Kida pointed to one of the sharpest spears hanging behind her throne- I shall treat the carpet you are both claiming as your property like King Solomon threatened to treat a baby. Do I even need to make you remember what the threat was?"

The two weavers instantly shook their heads and left the throne room; though they were not satisfied by the Queen's judgement, they did agree upon the fact that, maybe, they had got a little bit carried away by their anger. Fighting a violent headache, Kida wilted on her throne. She noticed with great relief that nobody but herself and the royal guards had remained in the room. That is, until the heavy pair of doors was thrown open by Kida and Milo's Royal Advisor, Magoreshehb, who seemed quite agitated. The old Atlantean man, who had served King Kashekim Nedakh since the Mebelmoak, hurried past the royal guards. He had important news to deliver and was somehow disappointed to find only the Queen in the throne room. He would have liked to inform his King as well. Quickly, he bowed in front of Kida, not even pausing to breathe correctly.

"I am sorry for disturbing you, Queen Kidagakash, but I have to warn you."

"Do not apologise, Magoreshehb, if you have nothing to apologise for. You know you are always welcome here. What do you want to tell me?"

"Outsiders have arrived, my Queen."

"Is that all what you are feeling so worried about? They are not the first ones who have come to Atlantis since it surfaced."

"Indeed, they aren't. But they refused either to name themselves or to tell the guards where they came from and why they came here. They only said they wish to be granted an audience with your highnesses. So I ordered them to wait at the entrance of the city. I have to say I do not feel sympathy for them. They look arrogant. Especially the one who appears to be their leader. He is small, big, wears tiny glasses and doesn't seem to know what the word courtesy means. My instincts rarely mislead me, I might say."

"They wish to be granted an audience with Milo and I…I reckon they did not explain why?"

"No, my Queen."

"Did you notice anything special about them?"

"Again, no, your highness, safe the strange sentence which was written on the ship they came with."

"What did it say?"

"It stated 'Supported by the Smithsonian Institute'."

Kida, who had listened calmly, carefully, to Magoreshehb's words suddenly stood up, apparently shocked.

_The Smithsonian Institute…I have heard that name before. I think Milo mentioned it to me, once. I can't remember __what he said about that name. But whatever it was, he was less than happy to talk about it. _

"My Queen?"

"Will you excuse me for a moment, Magoreshehb? I will be right back. Wait for me, and tell whoever comes in here that I shall not hold court anymore today."

"…Yes, of course, Queen Kidagakash."

With that, Kida walked out of the throne room and got back to her and Milo's room. She undressed quickly and put her usual street clothes on. They were more comfortable. It still amazed her to acknowledge that the Heart of Atlantis radiated such warmth it enabled the Atlanteans to dress the way they had always had. In spite of being now located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantis enjoyed a warm and soft climate. Kida then slipped on her armour, safe her mask, grabbed her spear and ran as fast as she could back into the throne room.

"Come with me, Magoreshehb. We have to find Milo before we decide what should be done."

…

"Okay, everyone, I would like you to write a few lines for your next class. About whatever you want: your Mahtim, your Tahbtoap, your pet, your favourite game or story, the dish you prefer or hate the most, whatever! But do write to practise your skills, please. Got it?"

"Yes, King Milo." The children happily answered with one voice.

"King Milo", a little Atlantean boy asked, "What is the dish _you_ hate the most?"

Immediately, the children pricked up their ears, impatiently waiting for Milo's answer. The scholar giggled.

"The dish I hate the most? Let's see…I think that would be…No, that would _definitely_ be Cookie's bacon grease!"

"Bacon grease? What is this?"

"Remember the sticky substance we used to lubricate the miniature Martag?"

"Yes."

"Well, that was it."

Silence fell. Milo's pupils made disgusted face but they couldn't help laughing at the same time. And Milo laughed with them, praying that Cookie wasn't round about this part of the city to hear that.

"Milo-toap!"

Milo turned around to see Kida running towards him, spear in hand and wearing her armour. Wondering what it could possibly meant, he waited for her to join him and noticed the presence of Magoreshehb behind her. Something was wrong. He could feel it. Instantly serious, he told his young pupils that the class was finished and that they could go home. They didn't need to hear it twice and dashed away. In the meantime, Kida had grasped his hand and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Kida, did you not tell me you were holding court this morning?"

"Yes, I did, and I have to thank you for having retold me the story of King Solomon's judgement, it really helped. But Magoreshehb informed me that outsiders have arrived."

"So?"

"My King", Magoreshehb exclaimed, joining the conversation, "they did not behave properly towards us."

The Royal Advisor explained for the second time what was going on and when he was finished, he noticed his King's breath had become spasmodic. Milo turned away from Magoreshehb and Kida, peering at the Mother Crystal which floated peacefully above the city.

"Milo? Are you alright?" Kida asked, feeling concerned by the strange behaviour her husband had adopted. When he responded, Milo's answer was barely audible, for he was clenching his teeth in anger.

"The time has come, Mr. Fenton Q. Harcourt. You are going to pay for what you have done to my grandfather and I. Kida, Magoreshehb, listen very carefully: here's what we are going to do…"


	2. Facing the myth

"I cannot believe my eyes!" Mr. Fenton Q. Harcourt muttered under his breath.

He had, of course, heard the rumours which claimed that the Lost Empire of Atlantis had risen again and he had not liked them a bit. It had to be a terrible mistake! Atlantis was a myth, some sort of a childish fairy-tale Plato had purely invented to depict what he thought was the perfect society. Atlantis was not real! It was not unreal either. It just wasn't, and couldn't be. But the rumours had spread, and with them, a gigantic enthusiasm had made itself known. People talked, people prayed, people rejoiced. The fantastic power of hope had been enough to enable the formidable machine of imagination to turn busily. The old, arrogant members of the Board of the Smithsonian Institute had had no other choice than to check by themselves if those blasted rumours hold a tiny amount of truth. During their journey aboard the _Descartes_, they had come to an agreement on the following point: if, an only if, Atlantis had once really existed, sunk into the depths of the ocean and surfaced again almost 9000 years afterwards, then it could not be anything but a crumbling city, nothing more than a ruined empire, doomed to be ignored and quickly forgotten.

"Indeed", Mr. Harcourt had pointed out while they were gorging themselves on outrageously expensive seafood, "what enabled Atlantis to 'survive', so to speak, throughout the ages is precisely its mystical aspect. Take that away, and the mighty empire is reduced to ashes, a fading dream which has turned into an illusion. And as we know it, gentlemen, people do not like to be deceived by their own stupid dreams! Take Thaddeus Thatch and his silly grandson, for instance: they chased this rainbow so much they both died because of it! "

"Yes", another member of the Board added, "Preston Whitmore wasted his money for nothing, like always! It is too bad the boy sank with the submarine. I would have written an epitaph for his tomb. Something like 'Rest in Peace in a non-existing place called Atlantis'."

They all laughed.

"To conclude", Mr. Harcourt said after having cooled off, "we have nothing to be worried about: supposing Atlantis truly existed and still exists, which I doubt deeply, it would have lost all its attraction upon mankind. It will be forgotten."

He sniggered.

"Just like the fools who kept looking for it!" he quickly added.

Yet, all their hopes had brutally shattered into pieces the second they had laid their eyes upon the magnificent city and its glorious radiance. Staring in disbelief to the spectacle they were witnessing while the _Descartes_ was anchoring, the members of the Board felt like they were crushed by a reality they had never considered to be true. The monuments themselves were pure perfection. The sky was filled with flying machines they had never seen: Martags, Ketaks and Aktiraks, ridden by muscular men or women. Their skin was dark, their hair white, their eyes as blue as the sea, a crystal hanging around their neck. They didn't seem to be ashamed of exposing their bodies like they did, which disgusted Mr. Harcourt. Slightly groaning that they had no modesty at all, he let his gaze fall upon a strange bright light. A gigantic crystal floated in the air while eleven impressive stones slowly turned round it. Mr. Harcourt gasped at the implications.

_Could it be…the power source Thatch was blabbering about?_

But neither him nor his colleagues were given the time to recover from the shock they had just been stricken by. An old man had come to meet them.

"Greetings, outsiders! In the name of the King and Queen, welcome to the city of Atlantis! My name is Magoreshehb, Royal Advisor. To what do we owe the honour of your visit?"

"…"

"Gentlemen? Surely you came here for some reason, didn't you? What may we call you?"

"We…I am afraid that this is none of your business, old man. We want to be granted an audience with your…King and Queen, whoever they are."

"You _want_? I am sorry, but if you really _would like_ to meet our King and Queen, you will have to show a little more respect." Magoreshehb snarled, frowning. "You shall remain here while I am going to see if their highnesses agree to see you. This is an order."

[…]

"Is everything clear? Do you have any questions?" Milo asked, after having explained his plan to his wife and Magoreshehb.

"No." they simply answered.

"Okay. You know what you have to do. Now go!"

Kida and Magoreshehb sprinted away, heading for the docks while Milo jumped onto a Ketak. He flew at full speed until he reached the public loudspeaker and leapt on the ground. Knowing that the members of the Board would not understand a single word of the Atlantean language, Milo ordered his people not to mention his name in front of the outsiders, no matter what. In the meantime, Kida and Magoreshehb had arrived and were now preparing themselves to deal with Mr. Fenton Q. Harcourt and the others. The moment she saw them, bursting with pride, Kida knew what Magoreshehb had meant when he had told her he did not like them. She could feel that, behind their apparent amazement, the most sordid self-interest was lurking. She did not know at all what Milo could possibly have at the back of his mind but she had guessed it was very important to him, and was thus determined to carry out his instructions to the letter. She walked at a slow pace before she faced Mr. Harcourt. Kida was astonished to see how he behaved: in spite of his diminished height, he acted as if he considered himself better than anybody else. The both of them looked each other up and down before Kida spoke.

"Why have you come here?"

"I have already said we would not speak with anyone but the King and Queen of Atlantis, lady. Step aside and do not bother us anymore."

Kida gasped, slightly taken aback. No one had ever dared to show her such little respect, even less talked to her in that manner, safe Rourke and his mercenaries. At first, she wanted to make him swallow his words and thoughtfully tightened her grip on the knife she hold behind her back but finally decided it would be much, _much better_ and much more enjoyable to play along with him.

"Follow me, then, outsiders. I will lead you to the Throne Room, where you will meet Queen Kidagakash. By the way, mispronouncing her name is considered as a crime." She smirked wickedly.

"But", she continued, "I shall probably warn you: if you intend to harm the city of Atlantis or any of its citizen, be sure my spear will pierce your bodies before you know it. Magoreshehb, please let the King know we are on our way. Ant let his friends know it too."

"Yes, my…"Magoreshehb stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the glare Kida was giving him, "friend."

The Royal Advisor left Kida with the outsiders, looking forward to their reaction when they would understand they had actually been disrespectful towards the Queen. Magoreshehb knew perfectly how mischievous Kida could be, and he laughed softly at the remembrance of some old memories. When she was a child, Kida spent her life playing tricks on him. Once, because he had told King Kashekim Nedack she did not behave properly, Kida had managed to sneak in his room and hide all his clothes the Gods knew where. Of course, he had had to apologize to her in order to get his outfits back, although he didn't think he had anything to apologize for. That was why Kida, even now, teased him whenever he apologized to her, always ringing a bell.

The Royal Advisor sighed, smiled and shook his head thoughtfully. Kida would never change: the child she had once been still lived inside of her. Magoreshehb was glad she had changed her target, now preferring to play tricks on Milo instead of him, although those tricks always ended with an embrace between the two. Again, Magoreshehb shook his head vigorously, brain managing to shake back into place. He had been given orders. Glancing shortly at the Mother Crystal, he ran towards the palace and headed for the guest rooms where Mr. Whitmore and the rest of Milo's companions were living.

[…]

The members of the Board followed the huntress through the crowded streets of Atlantis, frantically looking all around them, trying to take it all in. When they entered the palace, Kida watched them out of the corner of her eye and remained silent. She tried to figure out why they seemed to be so angry at themselves: what more than a thriving city did they expect to find in Atlantis? Were they disappointed, or simply astonished? She did not understand. Still, she said nothing but listened intently to the words they were mumbling into their beards, apparently thinking they could not be heard.

"What on earth are those people jabbering on about? What's this gibberish they talk?"

"Yes, I can't understand a single word. Their technology might be advanced but look at them! Half-naked, speaking a 'language' no one understands and completely decadent! How outrageous!"

"If you ask me, Harcourt, one may think those people and their barbaric customs –those horrible tattoos for instance- should have remained engulfed by the floods."

It took all of Kida's self-control not to pour out her wrath on them and make them humble their pride_._

_Gibberish?! Decadent?! Outrageous?! __**Barbaric?!?**__ How do they dare?!_

"Yes, I agree." Mr Harcourt added. "At least, Thatch is not here anymore to harp us on about it! I suppose the sharks were not happy to feed on him. The poor creatures must have been hoping for more than bones!"

He gave a wicked little laugh. Kida froze instantly, clenching her teeth.

_Thatch?!? They know Milo? How could this be…wait! Yahd-lu Goh Nickh!! The Smithsonian In__stitute! Harcourt! I remember now! Milo told me about these people and how they turned him down...And…And they're still scoffing at him now that they believe he's dead! _

"If I were you, I would not make fun of the dead. It is very out of place, here in Atlantis." Kida retorted, her back still turned on them, conspicuously joining the conversation to make them understand she had heard everything. The old men did not seem to care.

_Laugh while you can, outsiders. __He who laughs last laughs longest. _

"Here is the Throne Room. The King and Queen agreed to grant you an audience but, considering your impudent behaviour, it will be public." Kida informed them while she opened the heavy doors and threw out an arm in showy gesture and prevented them from retorting anything.

The five men passed past her and entered the grandiose room under the impassive watch of the Old King which had resumed shedding any tears. Some Atlanteans stood in there, waiting for the audience to begin. Among them stood Magoreshehb, Mr. Harcourt noticed, and several guards who kept their hands clutched onto the handle of their spears. And beside them...

_No! It cannot be! Preston Whitmore!! And the resting members of the crew he had hired to find Atlantis! But…but he claimed they did not find anything! Or did they? Oh, this is a nightmare! Wake up, Fenton, wake up!_

All were staring at them. The members of the Board stopped brutally before the three little stairs that led to the throne: it was empty. Turning round in anger, feeling like he had been toyed around with, Mr Harcourt shouted at Kida, who stood calmly behind them, her spear in her left hand while her right one rested on a cocked hip.

"You tricked us! I demand to speak to your rulers, woman!"

The gathering gasped. Magoreshehb chuckled, as did Kida. Completely at ease, she walked past them, climbed up the three little steps and sat on the throne. The look on their faces was priceless.

"Outsiders, you are speaking to Kidagakash, daughter of King Kashekim Nedahk and Queen of Atlantis! I shall no longer tolerate the inadmissible behaviour you have adopted since you have arrived here, and I hereby order you to apologize for the insults you have uttered against my people and myself."

Her dangerously flashing eyes were enough to make Fenton Q. Harcourt and his four colleagues obey instantly.

"Very well. Now that this is settled, who are you and what have you come to Atlantis for?"

"Uh…We are the directors members of a very famous museum which is located in Washington D.C. and which name is The Smithsonian Institute. My name is Fenton Q. Harcourt. We have come here to…to…to make sure the rumours spoke the truth."

"Which rumours?"

"The ones that said Atlantis had risen from the depths of the Ocean."

"Well, then yes, they spoke the truth, as you can see it by yourself. Have you something else to ask me, or are you just making me waste my time?"

"As a matter of fact, now that we are here…We would be glad to learn more about your civilization, your highness, and particularly about the…the crystal that is floating above our heads."

Kida frowned, the tattoos on her face enhancing her expression.

"I am afraid you and your colleagues will have to discuss this with my husband, Mr. Harcourt. The King of Atlantis is the only one who is entitled to give such information to outsiders."

"But-

"All the same, Mr. Harcourt, the answer's 'no'!" another voice, loud and clear, interrupted from behind them.

Kida smiled mischievously while the five members of the Board turned round and looked in horror to the man who had spoken. He was wearing owl glasses and a blue toga that left him half bare-chested. His dirty-blonde hair had not changed one bit. Several cerulean tattoos had been applied on his light skin. He was thin, but not scrawny anymore. And his eyes were the same as old Thaddeus's had been.

Mr Harcourt heard himself and his colleagues shout the only words that came to their minds.

"MILO THATCH?!?"


	3. Milo's revenge

Sorry for the delay!!!! I have an enormous amount of work to do for college at the time being…But don't worry, I am not forgetting you! I hope you'll enjoy this third chapter. The next one will be the last for this story! I'm looking forward to reading your comment and criticism, if you have some time to spare.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Never before had Mr. Harcourt wanted so badly to just disappear. And according to the panic-stricken faces his colleagues displayed, they did not think otherwise. First Atlantis, now Milo James Thatch, what next? Judgment's Day??? Too much was just too much. Fenton Q. Harcourt allowed himself to observe carefully the grandson of Thaddeus Thatch. Something did not seem right: it was neither the blue toga he was wearing nor the different tattoos he had been marked with. It was neither his obviously calm countenance –though it _was_ quite a change indeed, if compared to the nerd he knew- nor the crystal glowing around his neck. It was the fact that Milo looked precisely like –safe the muscles he had apparently built up- what he had looked like when Fenton had seen him for the last time, years ago. It seemed like Time itself held no sway over him at all.

_Oh, don't be ridiculous, Fenton! This is impossible! And yet…_

The members of the Board scarcely noticed the chuckles that floated in the air. Milo was quite proud of the trick he just played on his former employers. But he knew the best had still not happened. The King of Atlantis tightened his grip over the Shepherd's Journal. He took a deep breath as if in hopes to gather enough courage and patience to deal with the revenge he had never hoped for and began to walk with great determination towards Mr. Harcourt. No words were spoken when they faced each other. Slowly, Milo extended his right hand and let a smile spread across his face.

"Hello, Mr. Harcourt. How are you doing?"

Fenton Q. Harcourt looked with incredulous bulging eyes to the tall young man who had addressed him. He stared disgustedly to the palm he was expected to grasp and shake and something like a little voice in his mind violently urged him not to do so. What on earth was Thatch thinking?!? That he, Fenton Q. Harcourt, the old and respectable Director of the prestigious Smithsonian Institute would consider an insignificant linguist - _who was wearing a toga_ – as his equal, if not his superior?

_No way, Thatch! Never!_

"Now listen to me, Milo! Stop this ridiculous masquerade and I shall forgive you for having disappeared like you did and for having deserted the Smithsonian Institute, not to mention your job!"

The next thing Mr. Harcourt knew was that several spears were pointing at his throat. Kida herself would have threatened him if Milo had not previously ordered her to remain near the throne. Milo retrieved the hand he had extended, ordered the guards to lower their spears and merely smiled.

"I beg your pardon? It seems you have not realised whom you are talking to, Mr. Harcourt. You think I should apologize to you?"

"For God's sake, Milo, you are dead!"

The words, though idiotic beyond measure, had escaped his mouth before he could stop them.

"Am I?" Milo laughed softly and looked at his wife. "Did you hear that, Kida? I am dead!"

"Looking good." She answered, giggling, and pushed several bangs of her silvery hair out of her beautiful face. The King of Atlantis returned his attention to the members of the Board.

"Well then, forgive me for being alive, I can see you are disappointed but, hey, you cannot have whatever you want, can you? It's a shame, really. Of course, I could have told you that there was a book called the Shepherd's Journal- Milo lifted the journal in front of his chest to emphasize his point- which led directly to the Lost Empire of Atlantis and that that book was in Iceland but somehow I think you would not have believed me."

"But of course I would have believed you, Milo, no, _we_ would have believed you if only you had given us a mere piece of evidence that the path leading to Atlantis could be found!"

The members of the Board all nodded in agreement while Milo's face hardened. Kida, who had stood up, saw him turn his back on Mr. Harcourt and gaze somewhere out in the distance. She could have sworn Milo was shaking with anger and disbelief. The King's voice, when he spoke again, was incredibly soft, as it was normally, but Kida perceived a note of deep sarcasm in his tone that she had never heard before.

"A piece of evidence, Mr. Harcourt? A _piece of evidence_? I had plenty! Unfortunately, if I am not mistaken, the Smithsonian Institute does not fund expeditions dealing with legends, folklore or fairy-tales like Atlantis, does it?"

Fenton Q. Harcourt froze instantly. Those were the exact words he had used when he and his colleagues had turned the linguist and cartographer down.

"And', Milo added, "Fortunately there are some people who are ready to believe that legends are always based on facts. I am sure you have noticed Mr. Whitmore's presence here. Maybe you would like to hear what he has to say about Atlantis?"

"Well, if I had the time –

"You have plenty of time, Mr Harcourt. Mr. Whitmore, will you please let his Radiance know why you agreed to fund the expedition?"

The old millionaire smiled. He knew perfectly well why the King of Atlantis requested that. Now was the moment to clear Thaddeus's name once and for all, and he felt an infinite gratitude towards Milo for allowing him to do so.

"As a matter of fact, I funded this expedition in order to keep my word. Thaddeus Thatch was the greatest man and friend I ever get the chance to know. He was a real explorer, one of those who are capable to follow their dreams and to make other people believe in them if only they tried. Thaddeus even helped you, Mr. Harcourt, in furnishing the Smithsonian Institute unique masterpieces of art he had found during his numerous expeditions. As long as his reputation served your purposes, you were glad to have him by your side. Of course, his wildest hope was to find the Lost Empire of Atlantis. He never doubted its existence. Never. And, I must say he succeeded in making me believe it too. But _you_, Fenton, you and all the buffoons you have come here with, you were cruel to him and scoffed at him whenever he dared to try to prove you Atlantis's existence. He fell into a deep depression, you are aware of that I reckon, which led him directly to his grave. And if it wasn't enough, in spite of all the qualities he proved to have inherited from Thaddeus, you turned Milo Thatch down as well. By that time I already had the Shepherd's Journal in my possession and the expedition to find Atlantis was ready to start. You see, Thaddeus found the Journal in Iceland. I had funded that expedition too. So, when you refused purely and simply to listen to Thaddeus's grandson, I knew the time had come for him to follow in his grandfather's footsteps. Milo agreed without hesitation. Though many people died on their way to Atlantis, Milo eventually succeeded to find it. But the boy refused to come back on the surface, and he made me promise to guard the precious secret of Atlantis until the times were right. I always keep my promises. And thus I made all arrangements to make the world firmly believe Atlantis was indeed nothing but a myth. I did not mind, for I had honoured my friend's memory."

For the second time since they had arrived in Atlantis, the members of the Board felt like they had been screwed. Silence fell, heavy and uncomfortable. Milo took advantage of it.

"I suggest you apologize, Mr. Harcourt, and all of you, gentlemen. Now."

"Listen, Milo, I don't apologize to the dead! I do not care if your damned grandfather was right or wrong, he was not capable to prove anything about Atlantis! And I won't apologize to you either! If you believe we have come here to bow before you, you who used to watch over a boiler, you are completely and utterly wrong!"

This was the last straw for Kida. Mr. Harcourt let out a terrified shriek when he saw her spear cleave through the air and pierce his bowler hat with a deadly precision. She joined Milo's side quickly, and had her eyes been guns, Fenton knew he would be dead by now.

"One more word like that", she warned, snarling, "And you shall know how Atlanteans warriors are trained to kill people as arrogant as you!"

"Your _highness,_" Fenton growled, though still shaken by her behaviour, "I am afraid you have no concern in this matter."

"Perhaps not in this particular matter, but I have every right to make sure you will respect Milo as he deserves it!"

"And may I ask why?"

"You may not! But I will answer you nonetheless! Because-

But Kida never get to finish her sentence since Milo had, without warning, gathered her into his arms and was kissing her passionately. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she soon closed them, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and returned the kiss, not caring one bit about the countless witnesses who were staring at them. The kiss was unusual: though she could undoubtedly and thoroughly feel his love for her in it, it tasted sour and sweet. She sensed Milo needed to be reassured about something, thus tried her best to provide him with the love he was seeking. When he pulled back, she heard him murmur the three words she worshipped almost as much as the Mother Crystal, and she repeated them softly, all of her wrath having vanished during the kiss. Milo kept his forehead close to hers for some time, hanging on to the moment, then turned again towards the members of the Board. For the third time, they were left speechless. The scholar smirked. Now was the moment to give the coup de grace.

"You will apologize, Mr. Harcourt, whether you like it or not. And you are in no position to speak to my wife like that."

"I do not take orders from you, Milo Thatch!"

Kida saw quite a change occur in Milo. His entire body had become tense; his fists were clenched as were his teeth, his breathing grew hoarser and hoarser, and his eyes, his gentle, soft brown eyes she gazed into so often were bulging with vivid anger, the darkest look seeping upon his normally innocent face. All his being radiated pure fury. Suddenly Kida saw a Milo she was not familiar with, distinguished the volcano that was sleeping beneath his always-gentle temper and which was ready to erupt without mercy. The Milo who had defeated Rourke.

"You may not obey to Milo Thatch, Mr. Harcourt", the scholar muttered under his breath, "but", he added, pausing for dramatic effect while he passed by the whole group and climbed up the three steps that led to the throne, "YOU WILL OBEY TO THE KING OF ATLANTIS!!!"

The crowd gasped, and Kida was no exception. Never, never before had Milo used his rank to make himself respected. Never had he shouted like that to anyone. The Queen of Atlantis stared at her husband incredulously. He was handsome when he was angry. The way he was standing in front of the throne, tall, proud, furious and filled with dignity conferred him a magnificent radiance she had sometimes observed in her own father. And Kida, for the first time in her many-centuries-long life, really acknowledged that the burden of royalty wasn't only hers to bear any longer. She bowed reverently to her King, the gathering imitating her immediately.

The members of the Board had not moved an inch, and Mr. Fenton Q. Harcourt was left speechless. There was no way round this situation. How could it be possible? How could Milo Thatch, the nervous linguist and boiler attendant, the nerd, have transformed into this strong, determined man, and into a powerful king, above all?!?

"Here is the deal, Mr. Harcourt: you and your friends over there will apologize to my people, my wife, my grandfather, not to mention my Royal Advisor Magoreshehb, and I shall let you go in peace. No, don't interrupt me, I am not finished! Once you are back to Washington D.C., you will present a public apology to my grandfather's name. Now that Atlantis has risen from the depths of the ocean, the Smithsonian Institute will need a new section dedicated to it, will it not? Name it after my grandfather's and I will both provide you with the information you need - for you do not want to flush your career down the toilet, do you? - and forgive you for all the trouble you have caused."

"No way!"

"Very well. We shall try again tomorrow. For the time being, you are grounded in Atlantis."

Milo sighed and motioned for the royal guards to circle the members of the Board.

"Arrest them, but do not harm them. Bring them back to their ship, and make sure they cannot leave without my agreement."

"Yes, your highness!" the guards answered with one voice.

"Oh, and, Mr. Harcourt?" Milo, added with a hint a palpable irony in his voice.

"What now?"

The King of Atlantis tossed him a silvery coin. The very same coin Fenton Harcourt had himself tossed him after having turned him down.

"Take a trolley to the Potomac and jump in. Maybe the cold water will clear your head."


	4. A tribute to Tchaikovsky

Author's note: Surprise, surprise! I have changed my mind! This is not the last chapter! After having reflected on the subject, I think I needed to write a pause between Harcourt's audience and his final confrontation with Milo. Another reason is Tchaikovsky. Shâal's my OC. And for once I'm actually quite pleased with what I wrote, especially the last paragraph.

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"Where has Shâal gone?" Kida thoughtfully asked with fake ignorance for she knew perfectly well where the little girl actually was. "Have you seen her, Milo?"

"Nope! I've no idea where she's hiding." The scholar solemnly informed the Queen while winking at her, motioning for her to look behind his back.

A delighted giggle chimed in the air, though both the King and Queen pretended they had not heard it. But Milo could not prevent his smile from spreading across his face when he felt little hands clutch at his sarong and saw Shâalinikash's head peek under his elbow.

"I'm here!" The child proudly exclaimed before she burst into laughter. Some parrot lizards shrieked in the distance, as if to celebrate Shâal's unconditional victory. Milo closed the Shepherd's Journal, laid it reverently onto a nearby table and swiftly turned round to wrap his arms around the child's waist, lifting her in the air. Shâal squealed with surprise and tried to escape the King's grasp but it was no use; he would not let her go. Kida, smirking, folded her arms and leaned against the wall to witness the upcoming scene. Milo gently placed Shâal between his legs on the thick cushion he was seating on and began to tickle her sides. Shâal instantly erupted in uncontrolled laughter, her little body squirming under the scholar's spider-like-fingers. Soon, she could not bear it any longer and yielded.

"Stop it! Please, stop it! Mercy, King Milo! Please! My ribs hurt!" she pleaded whilst still laughing.

And Milo granted her her request. He stopped tickling Shâal and watched her try to regain both her composure and her normal breath. Kida smiled adoringly to her husband -though he did not see it- before she stepped forward and sat down beside him. The day was over. The sun had finally gone to sleep into the abyss of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mother Crystal shone dimly. The stars progressively tattooed the night's body, fireflies shimmering on the painting of the universe, and the perfumed air grew colder because of the trade wind that blew softly, bringing peace and rest along with the waltz of salty scents to bodies and souls.

"Shâalinikash", Kida spoke after having cuddled up to Milo who had rested his head over her hair, "It is getting late, little one. You should go to bed now."

"But I'm not tired, Queen Kida!" Shâal defiantly proclaimed. As if to prove it, she jumped to her feet and seized Milo's glasses before he could react.

"Hey! Give me them back!" protested a completely stupefied Milo.

"Shâal! This is not funny! You know Milo needs his glasses!" warned Kida, her eyebrows frowned in clear disapproval.

But the child paid no attention to her, excitement taking over her. The King of Atlantis got up hesitantly and tried to follow the blur that was now Shâal as best as he could, but he quickly stumbled over something that he could not clearly distinguish and fell onto the floor, landing heavily in a sprawling-sort of position and groaning in pain.

"Milo!" Kida exclaimed and rushed to his side to help him.

Shâal instantly froze and looked to her. Kida was less than happy with her and it was more than obvious, considering the poisonous glare she was giving her. The Queen folded her arms and started stamping her foot while Milo pulled himself off the ground and onto his knees, rubbing his neck and making a mental note to ask Sweet to twist it the next time he would see him. Shâal bowed her head so her hair hid her eyes and walked over to Milo. She carefully handed him his glasses under Kida's burning gaze.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Please forgive me!"

The King of Atlantis took his precious spectacles and put them back on his nose. Then, he peered at Shâal's half-hidden face and was surprised to find she was quietly sobbing.

"Hey, easy, Shâal ,easy! It's all right. Just don't do it again, okay?"

Shâal nodded in response.

"Now, show me your most beautiful smile!"

Shâalinikash lifted up her liquid blue eyes and tried to obey but her lips were trembling so much that she could not bring herself to. Sighing tolerantly, Kida kneeled in front of the little girl and gathered her in her arms; at first resisting, Shâal finally buried her face into the Queen's shoulder and vaguely noticed she was gently rubbing her back to soothe her. Milo slowly got up. Several minutes passed until Shâal looked up again.

"You're not mad at me, then, Queen Kida?" she inquired, worry piercing her voice.

"Kwahm, Shâalinikash-toap. Everyone makes mistakes. Milo has forgiven you. So do I. Now-

Kida stopped mid-sentence to look down at the child in her arms. Shâal was yawning her head off.

"Now you should _really_ go to bed. And do not tell me you're not tired!" she added with a smile, her finger placed on Shâal's mouth to silence her. "Your parents should be here shortly."

"Can you at least tell me a bedtime story?"

Kida seemed to consider this for a moment when she felt Milo's hand caress her shoulder.

"How about me telling you girls a bedtime story of my own?"

Kida smiled warmly and Shâal's face lit up with pure elation.

"What do you think, Shâal?"

"Oh, please, Queen Kida! Please let Milo tell us his story!"

"Very well."

The little girl clapped her hands with enthusiasm while Kida carried her to her bed. Once Shâal was comfortably laying beneath the linen sheets and both Kida and Milo were sitting next to her, the King of Atlantis began his story.

"This story is an ancient legend called Swan Lake. It has become famous thanks to an opera by Tchaikovsky-

"What is an 'opera', King Milo?"

"Opera is an art form in which singers, dancers and musicians perform a dramatic work which combines a text and a musical score."

"Oh."

"That's not very important. Okay, here it goes. Once upon a time, there was a prince called Siegfried. Siegfried is the heir to the kingdom and is informed that he must declare a wife at his birthday ball, the day of his majority. Upset that he cannot marry for love, Siegfried escapes into the forest at night. As he sees a flock of swans –swans are very graceful and very beautiful birds with long necks and, generally speaking, white feathers- flying overhead, he sets off in pursuit. Siegfried aims his crossbow at the swans and readies himself for their landing by the lakeside. When one comes into view, however, he stops. Before him is a beautiful creature dressed in white feathers, more woman than swan. Enamoured, the two dance and Siegfried learns that the swan maiden is the princess Odette. An evil sorcerer, von Rothbart, captured her and used his magic to turn Odette into a swan by day and woman by night. Retinues of other captured swan-maidens attend Odette in the environs of Swan Lake, which was formed by the tears of her parents when she was kidnapped by von Rothbart. Once Siegfried knows her story, he takes great pity on her and falls in love with her. As he begins to swear his undying love to her - an act that will render the sorcerer's spell powerless - von Rothbart appears. Siegfried threatens to kill him but Odette intercedes. If von Rothbart dies before the spell is broken, it can never be undone. The Prince then returns to the castle to attend the ball. Von Rothbart arrives in disguise with his own daughter Odile, making her seem identical to Odette in all respects except that she wears black while Odette wears white. The prince mistakes her for Odette, dances with her, and proclaims to the court that he intends to make her his wife. Only a moment too late, Siegfried sees the real Odette and realizes his mistake. The prince returns to the lake and finds Odette, where she forgives him after he apologizes intensely. Von Rothbart appears, trying to pull the lovers apart. But the true love between Siegfried and Odette defeats von Rothbart, who dies after the prince breaks one of his wings. Odette is eventually restored to human form to unite happily with Prince Siegfried."

Seeing that Milo had finished, Shâal clapped her hands happily while he playfully bowed to his public with a smile.

"All right, little one. Now you go to sleep, and I don't want to hear a single noise! Are we clear?"

"Yes, Queen Kida."

"Good. Sleep tight, Shâal." The Queen whispered and bent over to kiss the child on her forehead.

"Sweet dreams!" Milo added, running his hand through Shâal's silvery hair.

[…]

Milo and Kida were going back to the palace. Shâal's parents had finally come home and thus enabled the King and Queen to leave. But Kida had questions for her husband and she made sure they would be answered before the two of them would go to sleep by dragging Milo into a night walk, under the benevolent look of the stars. Kida did not know where to begin: they had had a long day, and the audience with Harcourt and his colleagues had made Milo adopt a distant behaviour. It was unusual for him to keep so quiet when he was by his wife's side. Being oblivious to his surroundings, Milo began to hum a melody she was not familiar with.

"What is this?"

"What is what?"

"The melody that you were murmuring; what is it?"

"It is one of the most famous melodies of Tchaikovsky's opera.* You see, according to what my grandfather told me, Swan Lake was my mother's favourite opera. She even used this melody as a lullaby for me. When she and my father died, I listened to it non-stop. It was like a drug. I felt their presence through the music. You know, Plato said something very beautiful about music. He said: 'Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, it is a charm to sadness, gaiety, life, to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good, just and beautiful, of which it is the invisible, but never less, dazzling, passionate, and eternal form.' I believe it. Swan Lake has different possible endings, ranging from romantic to tragic, but all are beautiful. I chose to tell Shâal the happy ending."

"What are the others?"

Milo took a deep breath and closed his eyelids for a moment.

"The original ending states that after Siegfried's apology, he and Odette realize the spell can't be broken because of Siegfried's accidental pledge to Odile. In order to stay together, Odette and Siegfried drown themselves by leaping into the lake. This causes von Rothbart to lose his power over them, and he dies as a result."

"And it makes you think of your parents because they died together?"

The King could only nod in response. Kida nodded back and squeezed his hand. A moment of silence passed before she spoke again.

"What are you going to do with the outsiders?"

"You mean Harcourt and his followers? I do not think I will need to do anything special. They have no choice but to agree with me if they do not want to become the laughing stock of Washington. Their good name is at stake; they won't take any risk to erode the one thing they value the most."

"This was a personal revenge for you, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. Now they must clean my grandfather's name. They should have known humiliation to be a poor teacher. This is the price to pay."

Kida eyed him carefully and decided on dropping the subject for the moment. She could hear the roaring of a nearby waterfall; it made her mind dive into her own intimate memories. Her blues eyes lit up with an idea. She grabbed Milo's hand and began cutting their way through the bushes and foliages which she knew hid a deep pond of pure water. She did not let Milo's hand go before they were on shore. The stars had left the sky and travelled down to the Earth into the pond's undisturbed surface.

"May I ask what you are up to, Kida?"

"Night swimming, of course." She answered matter-of-factly. With that, she gracefully removed her loincloth, put it on the shore and entered the welcoming water with a sigh of satisfaction. She was aware that Milo was staring at her, lost in the contemplation of her body, studying every curve with an almost worshipping look. Smiling knowingly, she turned and decided to tease him.

"You do swim, do you not?"

Milo snapped out of it and smiled in return. He removed his own sarong and followed his wife into the water. It was cool, but not cold. The stars trembled with the ripples Milo made to join Kida, and they whispered to each other the silent profession the water would safeguard preciously. The pond could not praise itself for being as magnificent as a moonlight-lit lake and there was not a single swan floating on it. But it became a grandiose waterscape whilst two souls were given ever-growing spiritual wings that spread to reach the heavens, protected by the secretive crescendo of the music of love.

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* The melody Milo refers to is the Ouverture of the IInd act of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake opera.


	5. Departure

_Author's note: I don't have much to say except this: I hope you will like this chapter! And I would like to thank all the readers who submitted reviews for my stories this far, particularly Atlandim and __AuroraandRosalieWannabe. This chapter is yours._

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"Well, what are we going to do, gentlemen?"

The question rose in the air quite abruptly. The members of the Board were aboard the _Descartes_ again. The ship was being guarded by at least twenty warriors who seemed determined to carry out to the letter the orders they had been given by Milo. The members of the Board had agreed to attend a special meeting so they could talk about the recent events and decide what to do next. Mr. Harcourt had not uttered a single word since Milo had tossed him that silvery coin, but the muscles of his faces contracted themselves rapidly under the pressure of the rage that was fogging his mind. He was sitting in an egg-shaped leather armchair, his little eyes peering ferociously through his tiny boxy glasses.

"Stop acting like that, Fenton! One could almost see steam escaping your ears!" one of his colleagues interjected.

"So what?!? WE HAVE BEEN HUMILIATED BY THATCH!!! I THINK I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO SULK!!!"

"Sulking will not solve our problem, I'm afraid."

Harcourt only groaned in response.

"It seems our chief member is not in the mood for thinking logically, gentlemen."

"Of course I am!" Harcourt snapped.

"Then what are we going to do? Should we obey Thatch and make a public apology?"

"We have no other choice, if we do not want to become the laughing stock of Washington and possibly of all the United States."

"And do we also have to name the future Atlantean section of the Smithsonian Institute after Thaddeus's name?"

"Same answer, for the same reason. The bloody boy has trapped us!"

Another member of the Board pointed to the coin that Mr. Harcourt was clenching into his fist.

"I know you can't bear it, Fenton, but you've got to admit: the kid definitely paid us back in our own coin!"

"Ho ho ho. Very funny indeed." The chief member replied sarcastically.

"You should try to laugh of it. There's nothing we can do against Thatch this time. One might as well look for a needle in a haystack. What's more, there's a bright side for us too: the boy said he would provide us with information about Atlantis, which is of the utmost importance if we are to open that new section in the Institute."

"There is maybe one thing we can do to hurt Thatch." Another voice echoed.

A bewildered silence followed while all men turned to stare at their colleague who had spoken. Rick Chesley was the oldest member of the Board.

"There is?" Harcourt asked, hope flickering through his voice.

".We cannot harm Thatch ourselves."

"But you just said-

"I know what I have just said, Fenton! Gentlemen, I'm going to tell you a little story and I want you to listen very carefully. I have an elderly friend who used to be a hunter when time was still on his side. One day when he was going out in a bit of a hurry, he accidentally picked up his umbrella instead of his gun. When he got to the creek, he saw a rabbit sitting beside the stream. He raised his umbrella and went, 'bang, bang' and the rabbit fell dead. What do you think of that, Fenton?"

"I'd say somebody else killed that rabbit."

"My point exactly."

"I beg your pardon?"

"If we cannot harm Thatch ourselves, let's find someone else who can."

"And I suppose you have your own idea about who the 'someone else' is?"

Rick Chesley merely let an enigmatic smile cross his face.

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The sun was already high in the sky when Milo, Kida and Magoreshehb went on Atlantis's docks to find Harcourt and his followers. The King of Atlantis told his warriors to go home and get some rest, an order they were quite relieved and happy to obey. This time, Kida wore her royal dress and crown. She knew they gave her an extra aura of authority and intended to use it if necessary. The three of them slowly went on board of the _Descartes_ and it was not long before all Milo's former employers went on the fore deck to meet them, which surprised him a little. And even more surprising was the fact that Rick Chesley took a step forward, thus leaving Harcourt remain in his shadow, and bowed slightly to the royal couple.

"Good morning, your highnesses. It is an honour to meet you again."

"Good morning, Mr. Chesley." Milo replied calmly.

Kida, however, frowned her eyebrows in suspicion. There was not a single piece of honesty in that man's attitude; she could feel it.

"Good morning" she greeted coldly.

"Your highnesses, let me please get this straight for you: we will not bother you any longer. Please accept our most sincere apologies. We have behaved utterly wrong and beg the three of you to forgive us for the insults we have uttered against you and your people. Once we come back to Washington, we will do as you demanded and apologize publicly to clear Thaddeus Thatch's name once and for all. We do hope, though, that you will meet your commitments too, your majesty, by granting us information about your civilization in return."

"You have my word." Milo replied.

Suddenly Kida squeezed his hand and leaned close to whisper in her husband's ear.

"Milo, what was that saying you taught me? The one dealing with feeling trouble when everything appears to be right."

"Uh… 'I smell a rat'?"

"Teeg, that one. This is precisely how I feel now about that man. Something's not right. He is too benevolent. It is too easy."

Milo seemed to consider this for a moment before he spoke again.

"Mr. Chesley, I am going to provide you with sufficient Atlantean knowledge so you can set up that new section of the Smithsonian Institute. This is satisfactory, is it not?"

"It is, your highness. Once the Atlantean section will be ready, we will make sure to invite you and your wife so you can inaugurate it."

"Very well. But do not forget this: I don't trust you."

"And neither do I." Kida added, giving Rick Chesley a dead-serious glare.

Fenton Q. Harcourt let out an exasperated sigh behind Chesley's back, and the Queen immediately grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. She lowered herself so that her eyes were levelling his.

"If I am to find out anything that I normally shouldn't, I'll make sure to make you pay for it." She hissed the words through her teeth, making sure the man would feel their weight completely.

"That a promise?" Harcourt snarled.

Seconds lasted for an eternity before Kida spoke again.

"It's a guarantee."

A few days later, the _Descartes _left Atlantis's shores and rolled on the sea, heading for America. After the departure of the members of the Board, Atlantis seemed to breathe normally again. The king and queen themselves watched the ship disappear into the horizon from the top of the statue they had climbed so often. Once the ship was nothing more than a fading point, Milo –who had wrapped his arm around Kida's waist- hummed a small laugh.

"What is it?" his wife immediately inquired.

"Nothing."

Kida rolled her eyes and pulled back from his embrace to face him. He sighed in defeat and smiled.

"This goes back to our first underwater swim."

"Yes?"

"When you emerged from the water and was attacked by Rourke's men, you nearly killed one of them with your knife. I still don't understand where you were able to hide it, by the way."

Kida giggled.

"Anyway, it means that when you gave me that first tour of Atlantis, you had that knife close to hand all along."

"So what?"

"I've always wondered… Did you actually think I was potentially dangerous? I mean, when you snuck behind my back that day, you weren't wearing your armour anymore, so you deliberately chose to keep your knife with you. Were you planning to use it against me?

Kida's eyes widened. And suddenly, she leaped into action. She firmly grabbed his toga and threw her leg around Milo's so that he immediately lost his balance and fell onto the head of the statue, gasping in shock. While the both of them were falling, Kida's left hand cradled her husband's neck to protect it and her right hand made its way towards her hidden knife. The second she landed on top of him, she put the blade against Milo's throat with a lightning speed. The king found himself in the very same position that soldier had once been in. Breathing heavily, he looked up into Kida's eyes which were sparkling with satisfaction.

"You mean like this?"

"Uh…sort of."

"I did not think you were dangerous, Milo. If I had thought you were, I would have let you die in that cave. What's more, and don't be offended, I would have not needed my knife to knock you out at the time, considering the physique you had then."

Milo chuckled, slightly embarrassed, both by the memory and the current position he was laying in. The blade felt cold against his Adam apple.

"So you never planned on using your knife against me?"

"Kwahm. I knew I had a much more powerful weapon I could use against you."

"What?!? You _did_ plan on threatening me, then?"

"Oh, yes."

"And what so 'much more powerful weapon' did you intend to use?"

Kida smiled seductively, obviously enjoying the moment.

"This one", she whispered warmly before she lowered her knife and bent down to kiss him.


	6. Atlantis's Gates

**Author's note: Hello everyone!! I am truly sorry for the delay. It's been a long time since I last updated any of my stories...I've been through personnal problems, had a lot of work to do and a lack of insipiration. But don't give up! I promise I won't leave you with uncomplete stories :-) And as an apology, I put a surprise in this chapter which I am sure you will enjoy!! I would like to have your opinion about the architectural details I have given to the Atlantean section of the Smithsonian Institute. And about the "surprise" of course. I shut up now. Enjoy!! :-)**

* * *

A year had passed since the _Descartes_ had left Atlantis's shores. Preston Whitmore, Joshua Sweet, Audrey Ramirez and all the other members of the crew had expressed their desire to return to their homes. Atlantis sure was a paradise to live in, but abusing of a paradise could change it into hell. That was the official reason they had left. The true reason was completely different, though. Preston Whitmore, more than the others, had absolutely wanted to go back to Washington so he could keep a watchful eye on Harcourt and his followers. The Atlantean section of the Smithsonian Institute was now built and ready to be inaugurated by Milo and Kida. When Mr. Whitmore had received the letter informing him of such, he had rushed to the museum so he could testify it with his own eyes. Mr. Harcourt and the other members of the Board had apparently carried out Milo's instructions to the letter, and the old millionaire had not found anything to criticize. On the contrary, he had been pleasantly surprised.

_Atlantis's Gates _was a modern building that had been shaped like a gigantic wave by some of the best architects in the world; inside, the structure was held up by numerous pillars of black marble ornamented with acanthus capitals. Seen from above, the pillars were arranged in such a way that they formed the Atlantean "King's Eye". The central pillar, though, wasn't made of stone: it was an aquarium, or at least a part of an aquarium, that dived into the depths of the ground. As a matter of fact, the floor which the visitors would soon walk upon was completely transparent, as if made of an incredibly solid glass. And through the floor, one could contemplate all the wonders of the sea. The entire down floor was nothing else but a huge aquarium that gave the "impression" of walking above water. It was pure genius. Because of the aquarium, the building was dimly lit. The lamps imitated the globes that could be found in Atlantis and radiated a soft light that bathed in smooth yellowish, pink or blue tones. The ceiling was dark, and countless tiny pieces of crystal – which Milo and Kida had kindly given - had been inlayed into it, glowing softly and transforming themselves into artificial stars. The only thing that had not been created by the architects was a large commemorative plaque of stone that was hanging on the entrance wall. It had been carved in Atlantis itself and sported the words "In the name of Thaddeus Thatch". Simple and solemn.

Mr. Whitmore had warmly and personally congratulated all the people who had worked hard to give birth to the new building. He had always believed that it was good to make it known when a man should be proud of his work. And so it was that Preston Whitmore had agreed with the members of the Board that _Atlantis's Gates_ was to be inaugurated at Christmas. Joshua Sweet and Audrey Ramirez had been more than willing to travel back to Atlantis to inform Milo and Kida: it was snowing in Washington, and neither Sweet nor Audrey was very fond of it, the both of them being more accustomed to warm climates.

It was one week to Christmas. Rick Chesley and the other members of the Board had gathered in Harcourt's private office at the Smithsonian Institute. While Fenton Q. Harcourt was pacing nervously in the room, Rick Chesley was sipping on a glass of wine and looked completely relaxed. The other members of the Board talked animatedly, eagerly expecting the arrival of the person that was to avenge them from the humiliation that Milo Thatch had inflicted them.

"Will you just calm down, Fenton? You're being ridiculous."

"No, I won't calm down, Rick!!" Harcourt snapped. "You are the one who said the plan was flawless!"

"And it is flawless, Fenton. It is flawless." Rick Chesley patiently stated.

"Then tell me why _she_ has not still arrived!!!! We've been waiting for _her_ for two hours by now!!"

"It is snowing outside. A little delay, Fenton. Nothing to worry about."

"Why don't you just admit that _she_ turned us down?!? _She_ won't come, Rick, _she_ –

"Forgive me for being late, gentlemen, traffic was really something."

The members of the Board gasped, completely startled by the newcomer's arrival, except Rick Chesley who merely smiled with great satisfaction. On the threshold of Mr. Harcourt's office stood a tall raven-black haired woman whose body and attitude proved to be very, very sensual indeed. Rick Chesley stood calmly, took her extended hand and bent over to kiss it. She smiled sinisterly.

"You are forgiven. Please take a seat."

She removed her fur coat from her shoulders and threw it carelessly over Mr. Harcourt's head, not caring one bit about his cigar or his obvious lack of admiration towards her. Smirking wickedly whilst he groaned in frustration, she sat in the armchair which Rick Chesley was designating her and crossed her long, nude legs. She accepted the glass of wine that Chesley offered her and took three little sips from it, the mark of her lipstick printing itself over the glass.

"So, Mr. Chesley, how can I be of service?"

"Not one for patience, are we?"

"Indeed not, Rick, indeed not."

He chose to ignore the fact she had already taken the liberty to call him by his first name.

"Do you know Milo James Thatch?"

A look of clear surprise instantly crossed her features.

"I used to know him when he was alive, yes. Why do you ask?"

"I am sure you will be relieved to learn that he is not dead."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Milo James Thatch is not dead, my dear. He is perfectly alive and well. More than you can imagine."

"Everyone knows that he died during the expedition which that old eccentric millionaire had funded. He died on his way to Atlantis."

"That was indeed the official version of the story that Preston Whitmore made us believe in. But the truth is Milo James Thatch discovered Atlantis, and he is far from being dead."

She sat in silence for a moment, letting the truth sink in and eyeing Rick Chesley suspiciously. A sparkle of hatred appeared in her brown eyes.

"Why don't you tell me exactly what you are expecting from me, Rick?"

"Milo Thatch has become the King of Atlantis and – yes, your heard me correctly, I said "King" – he forced us to baptize the new Atlantean section of the Smithsonian Institute, which I am sure you have noticed, after his grandfather's name. And Milo will come here to inaugurate it at Christmas."

"Milo will come here?" She repeated, incredulous.

"Yes."

"And may I know why it concerns me?" she snarled.

"Because I know you never forgave Milo Thatch the way he refused to respond to the…overtures you made to him."

Silence fell, heavy and uncomfortable.

"What do you want, Rick?"

"He humiliated you. He humiliated us too" Rick Chesley added whilst designating himself and the other members of the Board. "I would like you to find a way to humiliate him in public in return, on the very evening that he'd think he has won the game. Let us say that it is…payback time."

She smiled.

"I have to admit that the temptation is strong."

"Then will you resist it?" he teased her, and her eyes lit up at the suggestive remark.

"What do you think, Rick?"

"I think you are the incarnation of temptation. How could temptation resist itself?"

"You have a point. How much will you pay me, though?"

"Your price is mine. Just name it."

She rose from her armchair, walked extremely slowly towards him and murmured something into his ear. He smirked.

"Is that a deal, Rick?"

"It is, Lisa McGrath, it is."

Milo and Kida had left Atlantis as soon as Sweet and Audrey had come to inform them that the Smithsonian Institute was ready for the inauguration of _Atlantis's Gates_. Magoreshehb, as Royal Advisor, would take care of all the necessary business during their absence. Kida was delighted to leave her royal obligations aside for a moment and looked forward to seeing all their friends again. Audrey had assured her that Vinny, Cookie, Mole, and Mrs. Packard would be there too. Milo had been very quiet during the trip to Washington, except when Kida had asked him all the possible questions about the significance of Christmas in the world. She had been pleasantly surprised when he had told her that it symbolised a time of peace and joy that had spread way beyond the catholic community. He had seen the smile that had spread across her face when he had told her that Christmas was also an occasion for people to give presents to the ones they loved. The smile that Kida had shown him was enigmatic though and he hadn't been able to interpret it.

They had arrived at Mr. Whitmore's mansion late in the evening of the 23rd of December. When Preston Whitmore, Milo, Kida, and all the members of the Ulysses crew had greeted each other – except Mole, for obvious reasons -, the first thing they had wanted was food. The second was sleep. The next morning, when the King and Queen of Atlantis climbed down the stairs that led to their room, dressed with their American civilian clothes, they were surprised to see the old millionaire, Audrey and Sweet waiting for them.

"Madre de dios! It's about time you two got up!" Audrey teased them.

"Tell that to Milo, Audrey! He kept arguing with me that the only reason why he couldn't get up was the fact that Fluffy was keeping his feet warm!" Kida answered, half-laughing.

Milo, carrying Fluffy in his arms and stroking her gently, grinned sheepishly whilst everyone erupted into laughter. As if understanding that she was implicated in the joyous atmosphere that surrounded her, Fluffy purred several times.

"Good morning, guys!" Milo greeted. "Is there any problem, Mr. Whitmore?"

"No, my boy, there's no problem at all."

"Then…why are the three of you waiting for Kida and me?"

"Well, we thought it'd be good for you to have some proper clothes for tonight." Sweet replied, looking as jovial as ever.

Milo and Kida looked at each other for a second, smiled, and then shrugged.

"A good idea. As long as Mrs Packard doesn't provide for Kida's clothes." Milo warned.

They all laughed, and then Preston Whitmore took Milo's arm and dragged him away, leaving Sweet, Audrey and Kida staring at them and grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Hey, hey, wait, I didn't even had breakfast!!" Milo protested.

"There's no time for that, my dear boy! We have to get you the best possible outfit!"

"But…Who's going to go with Kida?"

"Sweet and Audrey, of course."

"What, I don't even get to see my own wife with her new outfit?"

"You'll see her tonight, Romeo, now will you just come with me?!"

"But…Oh, rats!!" He sighed, defeated, but smiling. "Love you, Kida!" he yelled as he disappeared of the entrance with the old millionaire.

Kida giggled as her right hand unconsciously came over her stomach to caress it lightly. Audrey noticed the odd gesture and turned her head to see if Sweet had noticed it too. Considering the way his eyes lit up, it was obvious that he had. He gave Audrey a suggestive look that said it all.

"You haven't told him yet, have you?" He demanded to Atlantis's Queen, who didn't seem to understand the sense of his question.

"What do you mean?" She replied.

"He means about el pequeño muchacho who's in there!" Audrey replied, smirking, and pointing to Kida's stomach.

"Yahd-la-Go-Nikh! How did you -?"

"Have you forgotten the reason why Preston Whitmore hired me, your highness? I am the best doctor around here!" Sweet chimed, obviously pleased. "May I?" He asked Kida, who nodded briefly, still a little shocked.

Slowly, and with great care, he lifted the shirt that Kida was wearing so he could he apply his palms on her belly and palpate it. As expected, it was slightly swollen, irrefutable proof of the little lodger who had taken up residence in there. Sweet retrieved his professional hands and let his biggest grin spread across his face. Both Audrey and Kida looked at him expectantly, and he couldn't help but praising himself for having chosen to become a doctor, for being able to deliver the sheer and incredible news of a birth-to-come was truly a wonder in itself.

"Three months. And it's a boy."

Audrey shrieked and immediately hugged Kida who was left speechless and whose eyes were brimming with tears.

"How can you tell?" she choked on the words.

"An ancient Arapaho technique. Has something to do with the form of the stomach. But 'tis a secret." He winked at her.

"You…are sure?"

"Absolutely sure, Queen Kida. You and Milo are having a son. Something tells me that Milo will have the best Christmas gift ever!"

And Kida returned the hug Audrey was giving her. She just couldn't wait to tell Milo!

"Now, let's go and find you the most beautiful outfit for tonight, Kida." Audrey stated, releasing her.

"Teeg", Kida smiled, "I'd appreciate that."**

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**So, what did you think? My apologies to whoever created the character of Lisa McGrath if I gave a wrong description of her. I don't even know where she comes from. **

**Extra surprise ahead for the first person who will review this chapter AND tell me what the name of "the little lodger" will be. ^^**


	7. A silent confontation

**Hi everyone! Sorry for having kept you waiting! I would have liked to give you an even longer chapter, but I'm leaving in a couple of hours for two weeks - which will be the reason I won't reply to messages, reviews, read your stories, post any review etc (which doesn't mean they are not appreciated)- so I hope this will do instead. Thank you for following these stories with me, and enjoy your reading!**

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Kida gazed at her reflection in the mirror with great attention, and then graciously turned around to face Audrey and Dr. Sweet, lifting one inquiring eyebrow to signify them that she was waiting for their verdict. Audrey lifted an enthusiastic thumb in the air – a gesture Kida was clearly not familiar with - and winked at her while the massive doctor gently took Kida's slender hand and made her turn round on herself several times. The Queen resisted the urge to let the musical laughter that invaded her throat rise in the air and when Sweet seemed to be satisfied and let her go, she put both hands on her hips, cocked her head and shot a look full of sparkling mischief at him. He kept staring at her, apparently lost in his thoughts and motionless.

"What's the matter? You do not think the dress suits me, do you?" she finally asked him.

"Actually, I was thinking that if Milo had not already won your heart, he would so have competition!" he answered joyously, smiling at Kida's astonished expression.

When she eventually managed to take the compliment in, the Queen leaned in and gave the doctor a friendly hug which he returned with an almost fatherly pride.

"Pagen."

"Si, estas muy guapa, Kida."

« Muchas gracias, Audrey »

« De nada. Voy a pagar for your dress now, and then we can all go back to Mr. Whitmore's."

When the three of them arrived at the mansion, they weren't surprised to find Preston Whitmore sitting in his favourite armchair, in front of one of the huge fireplaces that he seemed to be very keen on. The old millionaire looked lost in his thoughts, and was apparently gazing at something that was put on his knees. Sweet coughed slightly to make their presence known. Mr. Whitmore instantly looked behind him and let an enthusiastic smile spread across his face.

"Ah, there you are! Have you found what you were looking for, Queen Kida?"

"Yes. Sweet and Audrey were very kind to stay and wait for me to choose. And I have already told you several times you can call me Kida."

"Then you have to stop calling me Mr. Whitmore."

"I cannot do that."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"I am afraid I have too much respect for you." Kida added with a small smile.

The old millionaire let out a small laugh and shrugged.

"Then you cannot expect to call you otherwise, Queen Kida. By the way, Sweet, your new medical tools are waiting for you in your room."

"Marvellous! I'm gonna check them immediately. Many thanks!"

"Audrey, if you're not busy, could you please check the car and make sure everything's okay for tonight?"

"Way ahead of you!"

And so it was that Kida remained alone with the eccentric man who had enabled Milo to go and find Atlantis, her kingdom. Looking around, the Queen wordlessly contemplated the large aquarium and the multiple objects that were scattered across the room for a long moment. When she lifted her gaze above the fireplace's mantelpiece, it fell upon a gigantic picture that depicted two men. Kida immediately and easily recognized one of them as being Preston Whitmore and her deep blue eyes shifted to the man she didn't know. For some reason, he seemed vaguely familiar.

"This man, Queen Kida, is Thaddeus Thatch. Milo's grandfather."

Kida's eyes widened and she felt her body froze. She didn't reply anything, and observed more carefully the portrait of the man she would never meet and whom she owed so much. Thaddeus Thatch looked like a patient, caring man. Kida smiled at his beard and the small spectacles that had slid down his nose, something that Milo's did quite often. Then Kida's eyes met Thaddeus's and it was then that she understood why the man looked so familiar. Milo had the same loving, innocent, knowledgeable eyes.

"Do you think he would have liked me?" she heard herself asking the question, wondering from which part of her mind it could have possibly come from. From the corner of her eye, she saw Preston Whitmore smiling warmly.

"He would have loved you. You can be sure of that. Here, let me show you something."

The millionaire turned round and motioned for Kida to come with him. She looked one last time at Milo's grandfather, murmured a silent, yet fervent, thank you and followed obediently. Mr. Whitmore returned to his armchair and picked up the book he had been contemplating before Kida, Sweet and Audrey had returned. The Atlantean woman noticed the old, damaged leather cover that proved the book had been opened countless times before. She wondered what story it could possibly hold. Mr. Whitmore offered her to seat into his armchair but she politely declined the invitation and sat on one of the armchair's armrest instead. Gazing at the book with an intense curiosity, she couldn't help but being awestruck when she saw what was on the first page. It wasn't words. It was a picture. A picture that had been shot in Atlantis, and not just anywhere in Atlantis, but in the throne room itself! She recognized it because of the Old King Statue that was still shedding tears. In the middle of the picture, she saw herself and Milo, holding each other's hands, smiling in a very conniving manner and, coming to think of it, obviously in love.

"It is Mrs. Packard who shot that picture, Queen Kida."

"Shot? But it didn't harm anyone, did it?"

The millionaire chuckled, mischief pouring though his eyes.

"No, the verb 'to shoot' is used to describe the action of taking a picture with a camera."

"But Milo told me that this verb is also used for weapons."

"Yes. Ironically enough, a gun shoots and kills while a camera shoots and immortalize."

Kida blinked a few times, nodded and decided to drop the subject. Mr. Whitmore turned the page and another picture appeared in front of them. She recognized it as the one she had taken a look at in the caves a long time ago - even though the picture's bottom was now covered with Milo's handwriting - when she and her fellow hunters had secretly entered the camp the Ulysses crew had set up. Now she had a second chance to look closely at it, and she smiled at the enthusiastic little boy she knew to be Milo. It was evident in the child's eyes that he almost worshipped his grandfather, who looked tenderly at his grandson. For a second, Kida could imagine how Milo's heart must have been torn when the old explorer had died. The Queen eventually looked at the picture that was on the third page and froze; there was Thaddeus Thatch walking beside a man, tall and thin, himself next to a beautiful dirty-blond haired woman who was laughing silently through time. Her right hand was extended to caress her son's cheek while he was perched on his father's shoulders, his arms spread like wings in delight and grinning from ear-to-ear, his owl glasses way too big for him. Kida slowly brushed her forefinger against the photography.

"This is the only picture left of Milo's family." Mr. Whitmore's voice commented. "This," he added, "is Lucille Rose Thatch, Milo's mother, and this is Augustus Avery Thatch, Thaddeus's son and Milo's father. Milo was 2 years old when this picture was shot."

Kida felt lump rise in her throat. It was an extremely strange feeling for her to look at these people who were now part of her family as well, even if they were not there anymore. And the little Milo looked so happy there.

"When did Milo's parents died?"

"Milo was born in 1882, and both his parents died in a train accident in 1885."

"3 years old…" Kida spoke in a whisper. "Where is Milo anyway? I thought he was with you."

"He was. After we bought him the outfit he'll wear tonight, he told me to come back without him because he wanted to go to the graveyard. I think Milo needed to be alone for a while."

"Milo needs everything but to be alone. Besides, I have wonderful news to tell him."

"Oh? And may I know what it is?"

Kida smiled and leaned in to whisper against the old man's ear. Preston Whitmore almost jumped in surprise.

"REALLY?"

"Yes. At least, that's what Sweet told me."

"If Sweet said so, then there's no mistake! How will you tell Milo? Have you already thought of something?"

"Yes, but I need to ask you a favour."

"I'm listening."

"Could you lend me your shard of crystal?"

"Of course. Here."

"Thank you. I give you my word I will give it back to you as soon as Milo knows about this."

"When I know about what?" another voice interrupted.

Startled, both Kida and Preston Whitmore jumped round to find Milo smiling at them while removing his coat from his shoulders. Quickly, Kida concealed the crystal into her pocket whilst the millionaire greeted Atlantis's King.

"When you know that we were almost getting worried about you and your absence, my boy!"

"Oh…sorry about that.", Milo shrugged and rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "It's just that I found a song I would like to be carved on my grandfather's grave, since the old epitaph has been erased."

"Consider it done, my boy. May I see the lyrics?"

"Sure."

The King handed a sheet of paper to the millionaire who read carefully what was written on it.

_The tears I fell today_

_I'll wait to shed tomorrow._

_Though I'll not sleep this night_

_Nor find surcease from sorrow._

_My eyes must keep their sight;_

_I dare not be tear-blinded._

_I must be free to talk_

_Not choked with grief, clear-minded._

_My mouth cannot betray_

_The anguish that I know._

_Yes, I'll keep my tears till later:_

_But my grief will never go._

Preston Whitmore nodded in approbation.

"A good choice, Milo. I'll take care of that as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Mr. Whitmore."

Milo walked over to where his wife was standing and gave her a tender kiss on her cheek.

"Vinny and Mrs Packard would like to know if you'd be interested in having a walk in the city before tonight."

Kida immediately beamed with joy and asked her husband what on earth they were waiting for. He laughed.

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The painting that was before them in the art gallery represented two big oblongs, one red and the other yellow, on a white background.

"At a pinch it could, ah, represent some dynamite." Vinny unconvincingly said, staring like Milo at the painting. "Eh, why do artists never paint gardens full of dynamite?"

"Must have something to do with people's sensitivity. I'm not sure bombs would be appreciated by everyone."

"Bombs paintings would, ah, make a 'boom' in the world of art."

"Whatever you say."

"This one is entitled '_Oblongs in the Middle of a Desolate Landscape_'" Kida pointed out, proud to show her friends that her countless reading lessons with Milo had really paid off.

"I'm the one who's desolate to see that." Mrs Packard interjected cynically, making them all chuckle.

They did not notice the tall raven-black-haired woman who was observing them from the corner of her eye. Lisa McGrath couldn't believe her eyes. There he was, in her own art gallery. Milo James Thatch. The only man in the world who had dared to turn her down when she had offered him the chance to have sex with her. He was still a very young man then, only in his twenties, and had purely and simply refused to seize the opportunity she had given him. She never forgot the feeling of pure humiliation that had pierced her pride like a zillion blades. Lisa's eyes drifted from Milo to the woman who stood beside him, her fingers intertwined with his. Though she could only see her back, the woman's white hair and dark hands were enough for Lisa to deduce that she was Atlantean. A cold shiver ran through Lisa's spine; a shiver she identified as one of jealousy. Suddenly the Atlantean woman released Milo's hand, turned round, as if she had felt her gaze, and her deep blue eyes met Lisa's, holding for a few seconds that suddenly appeared like an eternity. The American woman frowned in a very particular way that made her look clearly antipathetic yet still seductive. Not breaking eye-contact, Lisa faced the unspoken challenge and stepped forward. She saw the Atlantean woman smile and turn round again to whisper something against the scholar's ear. He nodded, and she left his side to come towards her. Milo would pay, yes, but only later that evening. Eventually letting her gaze drop on the ground, Lisa McGrath thought it better to disappear before Milo saw her; she went away, listening to the familiar noise of her stiletto heels echoing on the floor's tiles. The impact she foresaw to have in the evening wouldn't be the same if she didn't take him by surprise. When Milo and Kida looked around in an attempt to find her, they both understood it was already too late. They looked at each other and shrugged. Lisa McGrath had disappeared.

The incident quickly forgotten, Milo, Kida, Vinny and Mrs. Packard took a look at another odd painting. That one represented a dozen white circles on a black background and was entitled '_Spheres_ _in the middle of Wastefulness_'. There was a moment of troubled silence before Mrs Packard's voice rose in the air and pronounced the sentence.

"He could have found a shorter title. '_Wastefulness_' would have been just fine."

"The whole bunch of you doesn't understand anything!" another voice interrupted.

They quickly turned round to see who had spoken and didn't find anyone.

"Hey, I'm over here." The voice spoke again. It came from…beneath?!

Sure enough, they all lowered their gazes to face a tiny black-haired man whose moustache seemed too long for his nose. Intrigued, blue eyes curious, Kida lowered herself like she had done years ago when meeting Mole.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "And who are you?"

"I, my dear, am the one who painted those wonderful canvases."

"Oh."

Milo and Vinny shot him a weird look while Mrs Packard kept concentrating on her ever-lasting cigarette. Puffs of smoke rose in the air. The painter, bursting with pride, didn't pay attention to them.

"You must be open-minded, my dear. Those paintings are out of boundaries!"

"And out of price, too."

"Boom." Vinny commented.

Milo caught a small laugh with his hand. Kida was smiling broadly. The painter wasn't. Suddenly, the Queen's eye was caught by a third quite modern painting. She extended her right hand and pointed at it.

"What on earth," she inquired of the painter standing beside –and below- her, "is that?"

He replied condescendingly, "That, my dear, is supposed to be a mother and her child."

Kida blinked, looked at the painting again but, in all honesty, couldn't find anything in it that looked like that.

"Well then," continued the Queen fondly, "why isn't it?"

And something incredible happened at that precise moment. Not only Milo laughed, not only Vinny laughed, but Mrs Packard did too. It was a harsh laughter, a laughter that had been damaged by all the cigarettes that had been smoked, but it was there.

The painter, of course, rushed away fuming with rage while Kida stared at his retreating back blankly. Then she felt Milo's hand touch her shoulder and looked at him.

"Oh, Kida," he said while wiping a tear of laughter away, "if only you knew how much I love you!"


	8. Double Cross

**Author's note: I don't know what happened the previous day, but many people updated their stories, and particularly Atlantis stories. So here is my own update. This is the last real chapter of this story. As the African saying goes: everything has an end, except bananas which have two. But you can expect an epilogue to that story. I've still got one little character to introduce! My apologies for the riviews I did not respond to. As a little gift, this chapter is much longer than usual. Enjoy your reading as much as I enjoyed my writing - come on! You always wanted to see Kida jealous! You know you do! -****, and, well, reviews are always welcome!  
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**Oh and by the way, since I just learned I'm going to have a niece or a nephew, this chapter is dedicated to him or her! =D**

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Milo adjusted his tie and looked at his reflection. It felt extremely strange to wear a suit again. And it brought back memories he did not wish to remember right now. The last time he had dressed in a similar way, it was the evening when Lisa McGrath had revealed her true intentions. Milo sighed deeply. He wasn't sure whether he really wanted to go to the inauguration of _Atlantis's Gates_ or not. The thought of seeing Mr. Harcourt and his colleagues again was not a happy one. But this was the deal he had made with them. He knew there was no turning back. Hopefully everything would be alright. Milo was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the three knocks on the door. Kida softly opened it and looked at her husband, who had apparently not noticed her presence.

"Milo? Are you ready?"

He turned round to look at her, and she was somewhat surprised that he had not been startled by her sudden appearance. For a second she wanted to tease him by telling him that he had improved, but she dropped the idea as soon as she saw the way Milo was staring at her. His eyes were wide and his jaw dropped. She smiled. He swallowed, and she peered at his Adam apple – Milo had never explained to her why it was called that way; she would have to ask him someday – while he did. A few minutes passed in silence. Milo humorously thought that he was just experiencing what Prince Paris must have felt when he had seen the goddess Aphrodite for the first time. He chuckled, remembering that, according to the legend, Aphrodite was born of sea-foam. Kida was a daughter of the sea, and as such, she was just as wild, free and beautiful. The Queen stepped forward, closed the distance between them, reached out for his hand and cocked her head. He chuckled again.

"What is it?" she questioned him.

"Were you born of sea-foam?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Forget that. What I mean is that you look divine."

"Thank you. You look handsome too."

"You know what?"

"No, but I think you are going to tell me."

"I am the luckiest, luckiest man in the world."

She smiled and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Mr. Whitmore wants you to know that he is waiting for you. As are the others. Are you ready to go?"

"I guess so. But before we leave…"

"Yes?"

Milo suddenly rubbed his neck, then ran his left hand through his hair and looked down at his feet, though still smiling. His right hand dove into his pocket and surfaced moments later, cradling a small box. Slowly his fingers opened it, and two small crystal earrings appeared.

"Are they for me?" Kida asked softly.

"Actually, no, but since you're here, you can have them."

Kida poked him in the ribs. He laughed and she gave him a radiant smile.

"Thank you very much. They're beautiful."

"Not as much as you are. Merry Christmas, Kida."

And Milo climbed down the stairs without waiting for her. He didn't see her either when she extended her arm in an attempt to stop him or when she bit her lip, silently cursing herself for not having seized the opportunity to tell him about their child.

The Queen looked down at her stomach, and brushed her fingers against it.

"Merry Christmas, Milo", she whispered, and the words tasted sweet on her tongue. She would tell him tonight, she decided, and would wait all night long for the right moment if it was necessary.

* * *

It was half past ten in the evening when Mr. Whitmore's car stopped on the front of _Atlantis's Gates_. When the millionaire, Kida, Milo and the others got out of the vehicle, they were immediately greeted by Rick Chesley himself.

"Welcome! It is such a pleasure to see you again, your highnesses. I hope you will enjoy yourselves tonight and that _Atlantis's Gates_ will not disappoint your expectations, which may rightfully be high."

Strangely, neither Milo nor Kida replied anything. They both briefly nodded and walked past him, entering the newest wing of the Smithsonian Institute.

* * *

Lisa McGrath frowned. She was wearing a scarlet dress – one of her own personal favourites – and golden jewels. Her long raven-black hair fell graciously upon her bare shoulders. Wherever she went, all men forgot what they were talking about and their eyes hungrily followed her figure. But she was a picky woman, and wasn't the kind of person who'd choose just any man. She was a goldsmith of her own, and only picked those whom she thought were interesting enough to distract her correctly. What her standards were was a very well kept secret, and although she knew she had the reputation of a man-eater, she did nothing to deny it.

But tonight, her target was different. She was a predator, and he was her prey. He belonged to her. He had always belonged to her. He had escaped her claws once. And it would stay that way. He would not escape again. Tonight, she would make Milo's heart bleed like he had done years ago to hers. Tonight, he would pay.

She took a glass of Champagne and drank it slowly, sip by sip. Suddenly, she spotted him. He was talking animatedly with the Atlantean woman she had seen by his side at the art gallery. Lisa McGrath clenched her teeth. But she didn't have to have to wait until her anger was boiling inside her; Milo had just left the Atlantean woman to get a closer look at the commemorative plaque of stone that was hanging on the entrance wall.

Lisa McGrath smiled sinisterly. While the musicians began to play Bach's Prelude _Ave Maria_, she finished her glass of Champagne, casually tossed her hair behind her face and made her way towards the King of Atlantis.

* * *

Milo read the words that had been carved on the plaque of stone for the umpteenth time. _In the name of Thaddeus Thatch_. The scholar sighed deeply. It was over. He had definitely cleaned his grandfather's name and nobody would be able to insult his memory again. The Atlantean section of the Smithsonian Institute would be there to prevent it from happening. From the corner of his eye, Milo glanced to Kida who was chatting with Dr. Sweet while lifting a glass of Champagne in front of her curious blue eyes. She was probably asking the doctor where the bubbles in her drink came from. It is said, Milo remembered, that Champagne was a drink which was not expected to be fizzy at first, and that the first monk who tasted it – since, of course, it had been created in a monastery – came running in the courtyard and shouted: "Brothers! I have drunk stars!"

But Milo did not have the time to remember the details of that story, for someone's hand had just touched his shoulder. He turned round and froze. A drop of cold sweat immediately formed itself and travelled down from his forehead to his neck. He had expected everything but her. She was the last person he wanted to see.

"Good evening, Milo James Thatch."

"…"

"Surely you haven't forgotten how to be polite, have you?"

"I do not want to talk to you, Lisa."

She leaned forwards and put her rubicund lips close to the King's ear.

"Oh, Milo, those are such cruel words! Especially when the one who utters them was the same man who kept telling me that he loved me…"

"I said: 'I do not want to talk to you.'"

"Well, unfortunately for you, I do. Mr. Chesley told me you had found Atlantis. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Milo replied icily. "Let me guess; he's also the one who invited you here, isn't he? How much did he pay you to ruin this evening?"

Lisa smiled and innocently placed her forefinger on her chin.

"I'm afraid this is a confidential piece of information."

"Which means 'yes' to the first part of my question."

"Rick also told me you had become Atlantis's King. So let me turn your question round. How much did you pay for that?"

"How dare you?! I never wanted to become the King! I only respected Kida's father's last will!"

"Ah, so her name's Kida. I do not understand what you see in her."

Milo felt fury surge to every part of his body at once. He could bear to be insulted, ignored, and considered a laughing-stock, but he could never bear to hear someone insult Kida.

"Maybe that's because you never loved anyone."

Lisa McGrath ignored his remark. Lisa began to get closer to Milo while walking in circles around him. She was a raptor, a seductive vulture, and he was her dinner.

"So I take it she's a princess. I never knew you were such an ambitious man, Milo, but it makes you all the more…attractive."

"Stop it immediately. She's my wife!"

"My point exactly."

"Wh-What?"

"She's your wife. You're her husband. Congratulations. This museum is dedicated to your grandfather. He must be very proud. But you don't think you have forgotten to thank someone else for your, let's just say, wonderful destiny, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

Lisa McGrath smirked wickedly.

"I heard that more than two hundred people died on their way to Atlantis."

Milo's eyes went wide with realization and shame.

* * *

Doctor Joshua Sweet sighed, intensely relieved, when Kida left his side to speak with Preston Whitmore. Sure, she was adorable and he respected her deeply, but having to answer her never-ceasing questions constantly was a job he had not applied for. Milo had. The massive doctor watched as the Queen of Atlantis walked away from him, radiating an aura of elegance and kindness. He was very proud to be the one who would probably medically look after Kida's pregnancy.

Preston Whitmore was admiring the aquarium below his feet when he heard an exotic voice calling his name softly. He could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Yes, Queen Kida?"

"Have you seen Milo? I just cannot find him."

"Wait a second. I think I saw him somewhere over there…Ah, there he is! And he's with…Oh, no."

Kida looked in the direction the old millionaire had indicated and felt as if her blood had turned cold. She recognized the woman she had only made out at the art gallery, and instantly added her to the list of the rare persons she hated. How did that woman dare to be coming on to Milo while she was there?!?

When she spoke again, all warmth had left Kida's voice.

"Who is this woman?"

Preston Whitmore looked suddenly very embarrassed. But he could not lie to Kida, especially when she was in such a mood. He certainly didn't want her to pour her wrath on him.

"Her name's Lisa. Lisa McGrath. Has Milo ever mentioned her to you?"

"No. Should he have?"

The millionaire closed his eyes for a moment and sighed regretfully. He could not blame Milo for having kept this part of his life out of Kida's reach, but now it all seemed like it had been useless. And Kida had the right to know.

"Lisa McGrath and Milo briefly dated in January 1905. When I say briefly, I mean 22 days. You have to understand that Milo was still a very young man then. As you may have guessed already, Lisa McGrath does not love men. She collects them. And, well, Milo was not able to resist her charms."

Kida, as huntress and warrior, had slain on sight many intruders during her centuries-long life. But she had never wanted to make their blood flow. She had just obeyed the law. But at that precise moment, she had had to restrain herself so she wouldn't cut Lisa's throat straight away.

"What happened between them?" she demanded coldly. Another sigh escaped Mr. Whitmore's lips.

"Thaddeus did not like Lisa, since he understood what she was after, and he made a point of telling Milo so. I think it was the first and only time when Milo and his grandfather had an argument. Milo refused to listen to Thaddeus and he was of course heartbroken when Lisa finally proved him that his grandfather had been right all along. Your husband, Queen Kida, turned Lisa McGrath down immediately and fell into a depression. It's always difficult when you think you were in love with someone to admit that it wasn't true. Milo eventually got over it, but I am almost sure he never forgave himself for having hurt Thaddeus."

"Very well. Thank you."

"Queen Kida! Wait! Where are you going?"

"Where do you think I'm going?" She replied, her voice already fading as she walked towards Milo and Lisa McGrath.

Preston Whitmore stared at her back for a moment, then turned round and found himself a comfortable armchair. The musicians played Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The Symphony of Fate.

* * *

Milo wanted to disappear. Lisa was right. More than two hundreds people had died because of the Leviathan. They were simple people who had only done their jobs and knew nothing of Rourke's plans for the Heart of Atlantis. Didn't they deserve to be remembered as well? But he had forgotten about them. He could have ordered the members of the Board to dedicate _Atlantis's Gates_ to them as well as to his grandfather. But he had not. He had only thought about Thaddeus Thatch and the humiliation that had crushed him. Milo felt lump rise in his throat. How could he have been so selfish?

Lisa McGrath savoured the look on the King's face. Once again she walked around him and leaned against his back, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Revenge is best served cold, Milo. You seem to have forgotten that." She whispered suavely, and her words leaked like were poison in Milo's ears.

Slowly, she extended her forefinger and let her nail brush against the scholar's neck. He shuddered.

"And I, Milo, am everything but cold, if you know what I mean." She added suggestively. "I wonder if you have improved since the last time…"

But before he could reply anything, Lisa let out a sheer cry of pain. Her arm had been firmly seized and twisted in her back. The spell she held on Milo was immediately broken as she tried to see who was responsible for it. She turned her head and was greeted by a very unwelcome sight.

"I may know little about you, but it seems like you have not improved at all, Lisa McGrath."

"Let me go!" The American woman ordered.

"As you wish."

Lisa's eyes widened. This was not the reply she had expected. But she didn't have much time to think about it as she was violently thrown up against the wall. The glass she had been holding exploded into a zillion pieces. Suddenly the crowd in the museum became very quiet. For the first time of her life, Lisa McGrath felt very afraid. And it didn't felt any better when the Queen of Atlantis grabbed her by her dress and pulled her up again. The raging fire that was burning into the deep blue eyes that looked into her own terrified Lisa.

"How do you dare to make overtures to my husband while I'm here?!" The Queen demanded, her teeth gritted and her fist lifted in the air, ready to deliver the next blow.

Lisa hesitated for a moment, and then decided she had nothing to loose.

"Tell me, your highness," she replied, smirking, "Is your husband more efficient when it comes to love you than he is when it comes to remember those who died so he could find Atlantis?"

Kida could not believe what she had just heard.

The crowd erupted into laughter. Turning round without releasing her grip on Lisa, the Queen saw Mr. Harcourt and Mr. Chesley laughing so hard that they needed to support themselves. The musicians had stopped playing any music. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the mortified look that was spreading on Milo's face. He remained silent.

With a lightning speed, Kida's hand cleaved through the air and slapped Lisa McGrath's cheek so hard that the American woman fell to the ground. She shook her head twice, trying to regain her composure, but when she met the Queen's eyes again, she knew she had gone too far. Kida lifted her fist once again, and Lisa closed her eyes, waiting for the impact, but nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. So she opened her pupils and was surprised to see that Milo's hand had grabbed Kida's wrist to prevent her from delivering the blow.

"Don't. She is right, Kida. I had no right to forget all these people who died when the Leviathan attacked the submarine."

"She just insulted you! Twice!"

"Yes, I know. But she is right. I've been selfish."

"No, Milo, my dear boy, you have not."

Milo, Kida and Lisa McGrath whirled around to see Preston Whitmore. The millionaire joined the three of them and put his hand on Milo's shoulder, his touch and gaze comforting.

"You have never been selfish, Milo. You just wanted to defend your grandfather's honour. As for all the people who died in the submarine, I personally looked after their families and made sure that each and every name has been written down on that plaque over there. Sweet, if you please."

Joshua Sweet made his way towards them, carrying a large commemorative plaque of stone that listed indeed all the names of the people Mr. Whitmore had hired for the expedition. Milo gazed at it intensely, as did Kida, and then looked at Preston Whitmore again.

"So you see, my boy, you did nothing wrong."

"Thank you, Mr. Whitmore. Thank you so much. Thank you so much." Milo repeated, truly touched by the old man's consideration.

"Anything for my best friend's grandson."

A few minutes passed in silence. The only things moving were the fishes in the aquarium. Kida suddenly giggled. She returned her attention to Lisa McGrath, who was still lying on the floor, and crouched down to her level, smiling pleasantly.

"Since you're dying to know, Milo is far from being bad when it comes to love me."

Lisa's jaw dropped. Milo's cheeks turned to balls of fire. Audrey began to laugh uncontrollably. Joshua Sweet and Preston Whitmore smiled mischievously. Vinny said something that sounded like 'boom'. Mrs. Packard kept chatting with her friend Marge. And Kida turned to Milo again.

"Sorry. I could not resist the temptation." She confessed to him.

"I-I guess so…"

"I wanted to wait for a more appropriate time to tell you this, but I think now is a good moment after all."

"To tell me that you couldn't resist the temptation?"

"No. To tell you this."

The Queen gently took Milo's hand and put a shard of crystal in it. Milo stared at its glow for a moment, then looked at his wife, incomprehension weaved on his face.

"I already have a crystal." He pointed out to her.

"I know. It's not for you. It's for him." She set Milo's hand on her stomach, and the crystal's light made her belly glow under his palm.

Milo swallowed. Time had stopped its race for a second, and when he lifted his eyes, they were brimming with tears. Kida lifted her hand to caress his cheek..

"We're having a baby?" Milo's voice asked, suddenly very shy and shaking slightly. Kida gave him a radiant smile and cupped his face in her hands.

"Yes, Milo, we're having a baby. We're having a son."

"How do you know?"

"Sweet told me so this morning."

"I'm going to be a father?"

This time, Kida laughed.

"How many times do I have to repeat it? Yes, yes, yes, and yes, you're going to be a father. Merry Christmas, Milo."

And Milo let his tears run free down his cheeks. When he kissed Kida to seal that very special moment, he thought only that:

_It does not matter if I'm not remembered. It doesn't matter if you're not remembered, Grandpa. You're having a great-grandson. I'm having a son. And that is all that matters in the world._

Behind them, Lisa McGrath lifted herself from the floor, stared at Milo and Kida while they were sharing a passionate kiss, his arms wrapped around her waist and hers around his neck, and shot a deadly glare to Rick Chesley and Mr. Harcourt. She would deal with them later. And then, she simply went away.

* * *

**Your turn to write! Many thanks!!!**


	9. Epilogue Part I

**Author's note: ****Hi everyone! As I have already told you, the previous chapter was supposed to be the last one. I told you I would end with an epilogue. But, since some of you told me that they expected the story to be longer – and because I'm way too nice (it is going to backfire on me someday) but that is another story – here's what I have for you. The epilogue, instead of being one very long "chapter", will be divided into several parts –hopefully I will be able to make you laugh from time to time! – that will be written as one-shots dealing with Kida's pregnancy. This will enable the story to last a little while longer. So I hope you will be satisfied by this decision, which I hope to be the right one! Enjoy your reading!!**

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I- Magoreshehb

Magoreshehb, Royal Advisor, woke up late that morning. But he knew the King and Queen wouldn't mind, as he had worked really hard to take care of Atlantis during their absence. They had come back the previous evening with all their friends, including Mr. Whitmore, and had looked suspiciously happy. When Magoreshehb had greeted them, neither of them had told him why. Kida had just smiled mischievously, thanked him for having efficiently replaced her while she wasn't there and, therefore, offered him to rest as long as he wanted to during the next couple of days.

The old counsellor stood up, rubbed his still-tired eyes and clumsily made his way to the four steps that led down to his private indoor pool. Having a bath before breakfast was a habit he had had for as long as he could remember, and it had always helped him to clear his sleep-fogged mind and to relax the aching muscles that annoyed him.

Once he thought he had soaked long enough in the refreshing water, he climbed up the four steps and put a loincloth on. He then walked at a quick pace towards the beautifully carved linen-chest which contained the elaborate clothes which were meant to make his rank clear for every Atlanteans. Magoreshehb bent over, wondering what the Queen could possibly hide from him, and easily opened the chest. He felt his eyes widened in shock, as his mind screamed in injustice and frustration, clearly not appreciating the whole I-know-this-is-more-than-a-simple-déjà-vu sensation.

Somehow he heard himself yelling, as if his voice had decided to act without his brain's permission.

"KIDAGAKASH!!!!"

* * *

Milo sat, motionless, on a thick cushion, concentrating on his gritted teeth while the sharp needle he was trying to ignore in vain entered the sensitive skin of his earlobe. Though Shehan, Master Designer of Atlantis, was undoubtedly the best when it came to tattoos, Milo couldn't help but shudder a little whenever he had to deal with him. Had it been only him, he would have remained with only one tattoo on his left shoulder. It was Kida who had insisted. Since he purely refused to wear the traditional Atlantean crown – he knew it would end up just like his grandfather's helmet did, that is to say in front of his eyes –, she had convinced him to be marked with an earlobe tattoo, which was a royal distinction in Atlantis.

As Shehan left the throne room after having removed the itching pain with his crystal, Milo glanced at his wife who was sitting beside him and reached out to take her hand. Her eyes left the Shepherd's Journal and she smiled up at him.

"Are you sure he's going to be angry?" he asked her softly.

"Oh, definitely. But only for a short time. You'll see. I bet he's already on his way here."

"When do you think he'll be there?"

Kida seemed to consider this for a moment.

"In about…ten seconds."

Milo looked surprised, then shook his head and gave a little laugh that helped to forget the itching on his earlobe. He looked to his wife again while she lifted three fingers in the air.

"Three, two, one…," she counted, her playful smile growing wider on her beautiful face.

"KIDA-TOAP!!!," Magoreshehb's voice roared as he entered the throne-room.

"See? I told you!" Kida pointed out to Milo.

The both of them erupted into laughter while the Royal Advisor hastily made his way towards them. He really did seem cross as he clutched onto his loincloth. Milo had never seen Magoreshehb this way beforehand, and he silently prayed he wouldn't get to see it again before a long, long time. But Kida did not seem to care as she pleasantly leaned against her husband to make herself comfortable. Magoreshehb was usually extremely respectful towards his King and Queen, so much so that Milo found it oddly strange to hear him address Kida by her first name. It then seemed obvious that Magoreshehb wasn't talking to his Queen anymore, but to the little princess he had had to take care of many centuries ago.

"YOU DID IT AGAIN, KIDA!! I KNOW IT'S YOU!!"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Magoreshehb," she replied solemnly and innocently, though Milo could hear that she was trying very, very hard not to burst into laughter again.

"DON'T YOU TRY TO FOOL ME, YOUNG WOMAN!! I KNOW YOU BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE DOES!!"

"Hey, what about me?" Milo interjected.

Magoreshehb looked at the scholar for a second, and then nodded.

"Except you, my King." He turned to the Queen of Atlantis again. "KIDA, BY THE FIRST KING, GIVE ME MY CLOTHES BACK!!! AND I'M NOT GOING TO APOLOGISE THIS TIME!!!"

She laughed again and pointed to a pile of clothes that had been put on the throne, just behind them.

"There they are, my dear, dear Magoreshehb. And don't worry, I'm not asking you to apologise. I have grown up, you know."

The Royal Advisor mumbled something that neither Milo nor Kida clearly heard but which they however perfectly understood. Magoreshehb climbed the three steps that led to the throne, picked up his clothes after having put a long, sophistically decorated toga on, turned round angrily and went past the King and Queen without pronouncing a single word but still grumbling. But when he was on the edge of leaving the throne room, he heard Kida call his name. He sighed, whirled round and looked at his rulers. Milo had changed his position so there was enough room for Kida to sit between his legs. His arms embraced the Queen and his hands were joined on her belly, while she rested her back against his chest, smiling contentedly. Magoreshehb felt his anger melt. How could he resist such a sight?

"Magoreshehb," Kida spoke again, and her voice was very warm, "Do you want to know why I actually hid your clothes today?"

"For there is a reason?"

"Yes, there is, and it is a very special one."

"I'm listening."

Kida smiled, and the old Royal Advisor could have sworn that he saw an expression of amused compassion cross her features.

"I wanted to make sure you were still able to face such situations."

"I'm sorry?"

"I wanted you to endure, um, how would you say, Milo?"

"A training," the King suggested, grinning.

"Yes," Kida approved. "A training. I wanted you to endure a little training."

Magoreshehb looked at her, confusion painting itself on his face. He shook his head slowly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, my Queen."

"You're going to have to face those problems all over again, Magoreshehb. There is a little prince who, I am sure, once he will be old enough, will spend his days playing tricks on you, like his mother once did. Although I have the feeling he's going much, much worse than I ever was."

Magoreshehb dropped the pile of clothes he was carrying and stared at Kida and Milo, who had begun to laugh again, obviously satisfied by the look he could only imagine he had on his face. He saw memories running before his eyes; memories of a little princess named Kida he had never ceased to cherish. Memories of a young royal girl, who had become an amazing huntress and warrior. Memories of a young woman who had been chosen by the Mother Crystal as her own mother had been before her.

And now the circle was complete once again. The old Royal Advisor made his way to his almost-daughter, and when he crouched down to her level, she left Milo's arms for a moment to give him a tender hug.

"Thank you, Magoreshehb. I would never have become what I have become without you. Please accept my apologies for that last trick I played on you. Now, it is your privilege to tell Atlantis that there will soon be an heir to the throne."

"It is an honour, Queen Kida."

The Royal Advisor released Kida and looked to Milo, who was simply grinning from ear-to-ear.

"I believe congratulations are in order," he whispered, still a little taken aback by the news. "Have you thought of a name yet?"

"Yes," Milo replied, and glanced to Kida who nodded in approbation. "His name will be Galin."


	10. Epilogue Part II

**Second part of the epilogue**** (dedicated to Rylew). There's still one to come after this one. For those who are interested in listening to music while reading, here are the two tracks I recommend:**

"**Once upon a time in Africa" (Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa OST)**

"**Aladar & Neera" (Dinosaur Ost, by James Newton Howard)**

**Enjoy your reading!!**

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A colony of parrot-lizards flew out of the throne-room, shrieking.

"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?!?"

Milo's shrill cry of astonishment, anger and panic echoed in the palace, so much so that many servants who were working nearby stopped what they were doing and looked at each other, intrigued looks on their faces. Soon they smiled or chuckled, stopped what they were doing and pricked up their ears so they could hear what the Queen would reply this time.

"I am getting ready for the hunt," Kida replied matter-of-factly, not paying the slightest attention to her husband's reaction.

"I told her it wasn't a good idea, my King, but she would not listen to me," Magoreshehb interjected, half-amused, half-exasperated.

Milo walked over to where Kida was sitting and, before she could react, grabbed both her hunting mask and spear and handed them over to the Royal Advisor.

"Magoreshehb, will you please take those away and hide them safely until I say otherwise?"

Kida immediately shouted her husband's name, but her protests fell on deaf ears as Magoreshehb had already granted Milo's request and was carrying her hunting items away from her. She could not believe it. Crossing her arms in frustration and disdain, she shot Milo a deadly glare and turned her back on him. She heard him sigh heavily, mumble something that only he could understand, and when he gently put his hand on her bare shoulder, she pushed it away.

"Kida, will you please look at me?," he pleaded, his voice soft once again.

"No."

"Kida, you have to understand that I cannot let you-

"**Let** me?!?"

Milo took a step back when he saw the way Kida was looking at him. Her eyes were freezing cold, and he gulped, suddenly very intimidated. But he knew he had to stand up to her and took his courage in both hands. Somehow, seeing him rise against the challenge she represented made Kida's heart bounce with pride, but there was no way she was going to show him that.

"In case you don't remember it, Milo James Thatch, I am the Queen of Atlantis and it is I who decide what I should or should not do!"

"Yeah, and in case you have forgotten it too, I am the King and your husband, and that means my opinion weighs as much as yours."

"You're only the King because you married me!"

"I'm sorry, but you're the one who absolutely wanted me to become King as soon as possible."

"I need to have some exercise!"

"Yes, and Sweet explained to you how you could have it without exhausting yourself over it."

"I don't care about what Sweet said! I want to go hunting!"

"I won't let you go, even if that means I've got to tie you up! There's no way I'm going to let you risk your life."

"I am a grown woman; I can take care of myself!"

Milo smiled inwardly. Hearing Kida change subjects meant he was gaining ground. One might as well strike while the iron is hot. He reached out to take her hand, and although she resisted at first, he held it firmly and put it on her swollen belly. She looked down. Almost instantly, she felt movement pour against her palm like warm honey.

"True, but Kida, you are _pregnant_. You have no right to risk _his_ life. I love you. Both of you. And I'm not going to let you go."

The softness in his voice and the simple words he had spoken were enough to make the last remnants of her resistance vanish into thin air. She smiled, and Milo knew he had won. Looking up again, she lifted her hand to touch his cheek.

"And you worried you wouldn't be a good father."

He chuckled, and then grinned sheepishly. It had indeed taken Kida a while to comfort him when he had eventually confessed to her that he was terrified he wouldn't be equal to the situation. He had argued that, since he had grown up without his own father, he had no clue how to deal with children. Kida had laughed disarmingly, and then had reminded him how much the young Atlanteans loved him. She had also added Thaddeus Thatch had done a very good work with his grandson's education. Which meant that Milo would more than probably live up to his example.

"You will be the most wonderful father ever." She assured him once again.

"We'll see. Now, will you please be reasonable and carry Sweet's instructions to the letter?"

"I hate it when I have to obey someone else's orders."

"I know. But do I have your word you will do as he says?"

Kida sighed.

"Yes. I promise." She reluctantly murmured.

"Good."

He grinned and kissed her softly on her cheek, his lips momentarily hiding the blue markings on her face.

"Can I have my hunting mask and spear, now?," she asked him, hope flickering through her voice.

Milo's eyes widened, and he shook his head.

"No."

"But I gave you my word! The least you could do is trust me!"

"Well…Once bitten, twice shy."

She stared at him in shock, and he winked at her, and then walked away, laughing like a sun caught in the pouring rain, watching over the fragile rainbow of emotions.

"Milo!"

He stopped and whirled round to look at her.

"I swear, Milo, you're going to pay for this!"

* * *

Kida woke up in the middle of the night. Waiting patiently until her eyes adjusted themselves to the room's dim light, she gazed out of the window and observed the numerous fireflies which seemed to dance graciously in the air. Suddenly, she frowned, feeling like something extremely important was missing. Her first reaction was to look up at the sky, but the Heart of Atlantis was still floating there. She turned her head on her pillow and understood what was disturbing her. It was the absence of Milo's arms around her. And the reason for that was simple: she had spread herself so much on their bed that the poor Milo, who had probably not wanted to bother her, was sleeping on its edge, and it was a miracle that he had not fallen on the ground yet. Sweet, affectionate Milo. But she had made a promise.

Smiling mischievously, Kida snuggled close to him, and as a consequence immediately made him loose his fragile balance.

The loud 'thund' sound that followed was enough for the Queen to burst out laughing, mercilessly.

"What- What happened?" a completely bewildered Milo heard himself asking.

It took him a while to understand what Kida was laughing at. When she was eventually able to calm herself down again, she apologized briefly while he sat on the edge of the bed. Milo smiled. It was maybe a cliché, but to him it really did seem like Kida's pregnancy made her glow with happiness. He sighed, massaged his neck and tried to lie down in bed again, but Kida prevented him from doing so. He looked at her inquisitively.

"Could you go and fetch me a bit of Cookie's bacon grease, please?"

Milo almost fell on the ground again.

"What??? Cookie's…?"

"Bacon grease, yes."

Milo couldn't stop the look of disgust that crossed his face.

"Since when do you want to eat _that_?," he asked, still taken aback.

"Since I'm _pregnant_, maybe?"

"But you hate even the smell of it. You kept telling me you could not bear it."

"Milo, I can't explain it. I know I just want some of it."

"…"

"I am not asking you to eat it with me."

"Great. At this hour of the night?"

"Yes, please."

Milo sighed, got up and dressed himself. Just when he was about to leave, a mechanism was turned on in his brain and he stopped, turning round on the bedroom's threshold.

"This is all about your hunting gear again, isn't it?"

She smiled strangely.

"Prove it." She replied, teasing him.

"You know I can't."

"Exactly. Now, Milo, are you going to make your pregnant wife wait for another century before you get her what she asked for? You're supposed to wait on my hand and foot!"

"That doesn't mean you have to abuse of it!"

And it was to the sound of Kida's melodious laughter that Milo bravely went away to find Cookie in the middle of the night. The Queen could have sworn she heard him say something that sounded like "God, spare me from pregnant women!"

When he came back, bacon grease trickling on his forearms, Milo was greeted by the sight of his fast asleep wife and a piece of parchment, covered with Kida's handwriting, on his pillow. He picked it up and read it quickly.

"_I am not hungry anymore. You can have my share. There's no need to thank me. Don't forget to have a bath before you go to sleep again. Don't try to fool me! I love you."_

And although he cursed her for a couple of seconds, Milo couldn't help but grin widely. As if he would give her mask and spear back so easily! Busy months really did lie ahead of him.


	11. Epilogue part III: Galin

**Author's note : Final part of the epilogue****!! End of the story!! WOO-HOO!!! Sorry, I'm just so happy I finished it completely! Most of all, knowing I did not give up just because of the language barrier and knowing the story was (surprisingly enough to me) liked are incredible reliefs. And you deserve many "thank you" for that, all of you who have been reading and reviewing this story this far. Hope you will enjoy that last chapter and appreciate it. I even dropped a little hint regarding what will come next. Ideas keep rushing through my mind! Remember: one story ends, another begins!! =D**

**Musical suggestions:**

**1) Lady in the Water OST: Charades, by James Newton Howard**

**2) Dinosaur OST: Track 1 (Inner Sanctum/Nesting Grounds) by James Newton Howard.**

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Kida could just not think straight. All she knew was she hadn't the slightest idea when she had undergone such pain for the last time. Probably never. Even though she was a proud woman, there was no way she could pretend she did not feel the pain this time.

In a desperate effort, she opened her eyes and quickly looked around her. She was in her and Milo's room, a place she associated with love, comfort and safety. Curtains had been thoughtfully drawn so no flagrant light could enter, and several fireflies-globes had been put across the room, gently diffusing their soothing dim light. She could hear, in the distance, some musicians playing relaxing melodies on their instruments, mostly pan-flutes. Dr. Sweet had argued it was very important for a woman who goes into labour to feel as comfortable as possible. He had said she only had to focus on her body and the baby. Every other thought should be pushed aside. But, in the name of the Great Kings, how could she feel _comfortable_ when her entire being was in such agony? Surely he had been joking!! In which case, it was not what she would call 'funny'! While she heard herself scream in pain, her mind travelled into time and space, and she remembered the previous hours.

Everything then had gone according to plan. She was having a bath when she had seen the amniotic sac had broken. She had called for Milo, who had never been far away from her during the last weeks of her pregnancy, and he had come straight away, had understood what was happening, and had told her to calmly stay in the water while he would go and get Sweet. Amazingly he had not panicked for a second. Or he had extremely well pretended he wasn't panicking. Whatever the truth was, he had been there when she had needed him. Then, he and Sweet, followed by a couple of female servants, had stayed by her side. Both Milo and Sweet and jumped into the water, not caring about the fact their clothes were now completely soaked. Milo, being himself, had kept holding her hand and caressing her cheek, repeating it would be all right. She had even laughed at him, arguing that unless he had been a woman in another lifetime, there was no way he could assure such a thing. The huge doctor had urged Kida not to fight the contractions, and she had done as he had said, the agreeable contact of water around her body making her feel lighter and helping her to soothe the pain. But as soon as the contractions had begun to accelerate and last for more than a minute, he had carried her out of the water and laid her onto the bed.

"You're doing very fine, Kida. Keep pushing!"

Sweet's voice brought the Queen back to reality. When had all this started anyway? It felt like an eternity already! As the next contraction seemed to tear her body to pieces, she yelled out again, wanting nothing more but to die this instant, so she would not feel the pain any longer, though even in this state, she inwardly admitted she was an idiot of the highest order to think that way. She did not realize it immediately, but when she heard _him _speak, she knew she had called his name.

"I'm right here, Kida. I'm right here. Everything's okay." He soothingly said, but his words had upon his wife the exact opposite effect. Kida knew more than she felt her patience was now reaching its last limits.

"No, Milo!! Everything is not 'okay'!!!" she somehow managed to reply between her gritted teeth.

"Oh but it is, Kida. I've seen other women doin' much worse than you. Just keep pushing!" Sweet's voice conspicuously joined the conversation, as if everything that was occurring was nothing more than a picnic to him.

Kida shot him her darkest glare and sensed Milo slightly back away from her; it was enough for her to continue to take it out on him. She knew deep inside her she was being unfair, but, by the First King, why should she be the only one to be in pain?? So, she pushed her husband's hand away and roared at the top of her lungs.

"YOU DID THAT TO ME!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?? I SWEAR, MILO, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"

She finished her sentence by adding a couple of some not very dignified insults that, even if they were spoken in Atlantean, left no doubt regarding their meaning and made Milo feel like he wanted to vanish in thin air straight away.

The mortified expression that spread on his face enabled Kida to feel some sort of perverted pleasure, and she was just about to utter a second sentence when Sweet spoke again.

"Don't reply, Milo. And don't pay attention to her words. It's a common thing for women who're in labour to insult their husbands. She doesn't mean what she said."

"AND HOW DO _YOU_ KNOW THAT, IF I MAY ASK?"

"If you really wanna know, that baby of yours is nearly there 'cause the both of you were involved. Now push! I wanna see my godson!"

Kida's eyes went wide whilst Milo's cheeks turned into fireballs. Sweet chuckled, rather amused by the sudden silence that filled the room, and just when the Queen tried to reply, the most violent contraction yet made her forget everything else. When Milo saw her bit her lower lip so she would not scream, he had the feeling Kida was considering the whole experience like a fight against herself. While she breathed deeply, he ran his fingers through her sweat-soaked white hair. He saw the corner of her mouth curve into a tiny, tired smile and felt comforted by that small manifestation of affection.

But when he told her that there wasn't anything to be ashamed of if she screamed, she somehow found enough strength to reach out for the vase on her bedside table, and Milo ducked just in time –since when did he have such reflexes?- so it wouldn't hit him in the face. Instead, the vase cleaved through the air, propelled outside through a window, and finished its race against a wall where it exploded into a zillion pieces.

Audrey, Vinny and Mr. Whitmore, who were waiting patiently for the baby to be born and standing nearby that wall, suddenly turned their heads and saw the vase crash violently. Silence fell upon the three of them while they gazed at its remnants. Then they all burst out laughing. Audrey, more particularly, expected eagerly to see Galin since Milo and Kida had asked her to be his godmother. This was an honour she had barely dreamed about, and when she had asked Milo why they had chosen her, he had simply replied that she had been the first one to understand stealing the Crystal was synonymous of mass murder; that she had been the first one to join sides with Milo against Rourke, and that if she had not, then there would have been no Galin.

But their laughter didn't last for too long, for somewhere not too far away, a plaintive wail sounded clearly, purely, and Atlantis itself seemed to grow respectfully silent so the cry would be heard and cherished everywhere in the city.

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Kida lay back, completely drained.

Pain still thudded through her head, inextricable and incessant. She felt more exhausted than she ever had in her life. That long ago day when she and Milo had protected and saved her entire city twice in the space of only days - that long ago time when every moment was the anticipation in the air before the hunt began... they paled with time and in comparison to the depths and the incredible bliss of what she was feeling now. Memories of agony still sparked their way across her muscles, shivering her exposed flesh in the air.

She closed her eyes. She smelt her own sweat, and then the scent of someone else as he returned to where he belonged. By her side.

Milo dipped his head down and smiled against the shell of her ear. "It's over. He is fine."

She felt his fingers tangle in her hair. She felt the weight of the baby as it was laid down into her waiting arms, wrapped into a warm scarlet piece of fabric. And as she looked down at amazingly soft, tanned, skin, at the fuzz of golden hair, at the tiniest sparkle of light in the child's deep blue pupils, she smiled. Her own eyes brimming with tears, she looked up and met Sweet's. He smiled his eternal joyous smile at her in return while he cleaned his blood-covered hands, finally allowing himself a moment of rest, his forearm travelling every now and then to his forehead to erase all trace of worry and sweat. The Queen returned her attention to her baby as he began to suck on his mother's breast, but then remembered something –or rather someone- important. Turning her head, she gazed at Milo, her Milo, who seemed unsure of what he should do or say next. She saw his tears roll down his cheeks, his breath fogging up his glasses as he looked down at the miracle that was before him, and she knew exactly which thought ran wildly through his mind: he had a family.

"I'm sorry for what I said." She whispered, finding even that felt exhausting.

Milo grinned sheepishly and chuckled, shy and intimated. "That's okay."

People had told him, "From the minute your child is born, your life changes." Of course he had not believed them. Now he knew they were right, all of his friends and acquaintances who were already parents.

Milo sat on the bed's edge, slightly trembling, and felt a surge of responsibility watching Galin, his son, a few minutes after his first breath, lying peacefully into Kida's motherly arms. So fragile, so strong, so beautiful. So alive.

"That was memorable, wasn't it?" Kida asked him, giving him a radiant smile which made the Mother Crystal's light look dim in comparison.

"Memorable? More than that. Unforgettable."

Milo felt his heart rise in his throat and bent down to kiss her. When he pulled back, he looked tenderly down and touched Galin's golden hair with his fingertips, a little bit afraid that he might hurt him. But the little prince closed his eyes as if he was savouring the contact with his father's hand.

"He knows you." Kida commented, smiling. Milo simply nodded. Then his gaze fell upon a curious detail. Very carefully, he lifted the stray bangs on Galin's forehead to reveal a tiny birth mark, lighter than the rest of his skin, in the shape of what looked like a full circle. Milo shrugged, and held Kida close to him. When the prince seemed to have gulped down enough milk, he retrieved his mouth from his mother's breast and gave a satisfied hiccup when tiny bubbles burst against his lips.

Milo and Kida chuckled, and it was only then that they heard the cheers that rolled non-stop and seemed to surge from every part of the city. But the little prince did not pay attention to them as he yawned his head-off, snuggling close to his mother before going peacefully to sleep.

"Welcome to Atlantis, Galin. Welcome home."

**The End.**


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